Page 10 - GAS PR REPORT - January 2024

Press Release

GAS completes the first session of ‘Transformation of Sports

Federations’ project with a series of field visits to six federations

UAE, 29 January 2024- The General Authority of Sports (GAS) is conducting a series of ongoing
field visits to six sports federations covered in the project ‘Transformation of Sports Federations’
since its inception. These federations encompass archery, judo, shooting, fencing, athletics, and
cycling. This marks the initiation of the third and final phase of the first session of the project,
which is one of three significant transformative projects among the 17 outlined in the National
Sports Strategy 2031.

During these field visits, GAS is engaging in discussions on the primary strengths of the six
federations and future strategies for enhancing their governance systems, administrative efficiency,

and technical proficiency to improve overall performance. The objective of the ‘Transformation
of Sports Federations’ project is to fortify the principles of management and institutional
governance within sports federations. This is aimed at guaranteeing the successful implementation
of their programs, objectives, and plans, fostering effective governance and leadership within each
federation. The project further emphasises the professionalisation of the federations' work systems,

striving to create a productive system with managerial expertise.

H.E. Sheikh Suhail bin Butti Al Maktoum, Executive Director of the Sports Development Sector

at GAS, said: “Through the ‘Transformation of Sports Federations’ project, we anticipate a
substantial transformation in the technical and administrative operations of sports federations. This
initiative aligns with the strategic focus on ‘The growth of sports sector institutions and the
enhancement of their contribution to the national economy,’ which is one of the three key directions
outlined in the National Sports Strategy 2031. The project aims to achieve this transformation by
providing increased funding, strategic guidance, and administrative support to targeted
associations, thereby fostering enhanced managerial and technical capabilities within the

federations. Moreover, the project is committed to ensuring financial independence, enabling
federations to generate revenue from the private sector, aligning with wise leadership's vision. This
approach is in line with the ambitious strategy to elevate the sports sector’s contribution to the
non-oil GDP eightfold, reaching 0.5 per cent. Additionally, the project aims to increase the number
of athletes eligible for the Olympics to more than 30 by the year 2031.”

His Excellency added: “In this stage of the project, the focus is on the monitoring and evaluation
of submissions from the sports federations. A dedicated team of professionals is conducting a series
of on-site visits, employing their expertise to conduct a comprehensive assessment. This evaluation