Signing the Abu Dhabi hosting contract for the 2028 Chess Olympiad

The Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the International Chess Federation signed a contract for Abu Dhabi to host the 47th Chess Olympiad, which will be held in 2028. Abu Dhabi won the electronic vote that took place last December, which resulted in them winning 96 votes compared to 60 votes for the city of Genoa in Italy. According to the contract, Abu Dhabi will also host the 4th FIDE Olympiad for People of Determination, and the 98th FIDE Congress.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa bin Shakhbout Al Nahyan, President of the Asian Chess Federation and President of the Al Ain Chess and Mind Games Club, Sheikh Khalid bin Humaid Al Qasimi, President of the Arab Chess Federation and President of the Sharjah Cultural and Chess Club, His Excellency Taryam Matar Taryam, President of the UAE Chess Federation, His Excellency Hussein Abdullah. Al Khouri, President of the Abu Dhabi Chess and Mind Games Club, and Aref Ismail Al Khouri, Vice President of the Abu Dhabi Chess and Mind Games Club.

The contract was signed by His Excellency Aref Hamad Al Awani, General Secretary of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, and Arkady Dvorkovich, President of the International Chess Federation, at the headquarters of the Abu Dhabi Cycling Club on Al Hudayriat Island in Abu Dhabi.

Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa bin Shakhbout Al Nahyan appreciated the support of the wise leadership for the sports sector and athletes, noting that the upcoming Chess Olympiad will receive great interest from all parties, and will benefit from Abu Dhabi’s experience in hosting major international events. He added that the Olympiad will witness exciting competitions among all participants, expressing his confidence that the UAE national team will achieve advanced positions.

His Excellency Aref Hamad Al Awani said: “We are proud to sign the contract to host the Chess Olympiad, a tournament that represents a qualitative leap for chess at the regional level, and we promise to present an exceptional edition with the participation of a large number of male and female players from all over the world.”

Al Awani praised the efforts of the Abu Dhabi and Al Ain Chess Clubs as well as those of the Asian and local chess federations in expanding the number of chess players and organising many tournaments throughout the year, indicating that Abu Dhabi is ready to host major international sporting events, due to its full-fledged infrastructure.

He concluded by saying: “Once again, we are on a date with a great global tournament, gathering thousands of competitors here in the capital, on the land of peace, tolerance, love, coexistence and safety.”

Arkady Dvorkovich said: “We are proud to return again to the United Arab Emirates after the 1986 edition, which was held in Dubai. The level of development in this country is amazing, and everything is new and very comfortable. We are confident that Abu Dhabi will be an exceptional opportunity for us in the 2028 Olympics."

The tournament, which will be held over two weeks, is expected to witness the participation of 200 federations in the male category, 160 in the female category, and 80 in the People of Determination category. Each team in these categories will consist of four main players and a reserve player.