An official delegation of the International Council of Traditional Sports and Games (ICTSG) visited the United Arab Emirates to explore opportunities for cooperation and partnership in the promotion and safeguarding of traditional sports and games.

The UAE is home to several internationally recognized traditional sports that ICTSG documents and supports, including Falconry - inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage across 25 countries - and Camel Racing, a foundational institution of Bedouin cultural heritage across the Arabian Peninsula.

During the visit, ICTSG representatives met with UAE sport and cultural authorities to discuss the SRETS (Safeguarding, Revitalization, Elevation of Traditional Sports) Framework and opportunities for the UAE's traditional sports to advance through ICTSG's international recognition pathway.

The UAE has been a global leader in the modernization of traditional sports while preserving their cultural authenticity - introducing GPS tracking and robotic jockeys in camel racing, and establishing the International Fund for Houbara Conservation which supports falconry traditions. ICTSG views the UAE model as a benchmark for the fusion of heritage preservation and contemporary governance.

The delegation also discussed the possibility of hosting a regional TSG forum in the Arabian Peninsula, bringing together member countries to coordinate documentation standards and cultural policy frameworks for traditional sports of the region.