
Russian Minister of Sports Mikhail Degtyarev invites UAE Minister of Sports to SPIEF
Minister of Sports and President of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) Mikhail Degtyarev paid a visit to the United Arab Emirates, where he invited UAE Minister of Sports Ahmad Belhoul Al-Falasi to attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
“My colleague and I discussed exchanges of a sporting nature, and I thanked our friends from the UAE for agreeing to send their national team to participate in a friendly handball tournament with clubs from Russia and Belarus. The Minister of Sports informed me that the exact dates and locations of the Games of the Future 2025 would be decided in the coming days,” Mikhail Degtyarev said.
SPIEF, which has enjoyed the support of the Roscongress Foundation, has grown to become an important platform for the development of international cooperation in sports. Cooperation between the Russian Ministry of Sports, Russian federations, and the Roscongress Foundation’s sports platform brought athletes from ten countries to participate in tournaments at SPIEF 2024 that included the multi-day Ladoga Gold cycling race, the Igor Chentsov Sailing Regatta, and a judo tournament. Preparations are now underway on international tournaments for SPIEF 2025.
During his visit to the UAE, Mikhail Degtyarev also met with Sheikh Suhail Bin Butti Suhail Al Maktoum and President of the National Anti-Doping Agency of the United Arab Emirates Dr. Mai Ahmed Al Jaber. At the meeting, opportunities for cooperation in sports medicine, anti-doping control, and joint training programmes were discussed. Russian athletes have already held training camps for synchronized swimming in the UAE, and the Russian Paralympic team tested the region’s largest indoor skiing complex, Ski Dubai.
It should be recalled that the United Arab Emirates was SPIEF guest country of honor in 2023. UAE participation in the Forum resulted in the creation of a delegation of representatives of official and business circles, a business communication zone, and a series of events dedicated to economic, scientific, tourist, and cultural opportunities in the country, with a particular focus on cooperation between Russia and the UAE. Finally, a highlight of the event was the participation of UAE Minister of Economy Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, among others, in the traditional run through the centre of St. Petersburg.
The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum will be held from 18 to 21 June 2025. Get all the latest news about Roscongress Foundation sporting events at t.me/Sport_Roscongress.