
Rising cagers get a newly refurbished basketball court in Abu Dhabi
ADQ, an active sovereign investor, recently unveiled the first newly refurbished public basketball court in Abu Dhabi as part of its collaboration with the National Basketball Association (NBA).
The new court at Zayed Sports City is the first of several basketball courts set to be refurbished for the local community in the Emirate.
The court unveiling ceremony began with a ribbon-cutting by Mouza Al Romaithi, Director of Information and Cybersecurity and wellness ambassador at ADQ, and NBA Head of New Business Development, Europe and Middle East, David Watts.
This was followed by Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Abu Dhabi League players participating in NBA Fit clinics and competitions.
In addition to serving as the presenting partner of the NBA Abu Dhabi Games since 2023, ADQ supports a variety of NBA fan engagement and youth development initiatives aimed at nurturing the next generation of fans and players in the UAE.
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