Expo City Dubai has signed a partnership agreement with the NBXL, the world’s first US-Middle East-based independent professional basketball league.
The city will become the home of UAE league matches and give it naming rights to one of four teams representing Dubai in the inaugural 2025 season.
The signing was a preview to the main launch on Oct. 5, when Expo City Dubai will unveil its team name, logo, key players, merchandise, staff and schedule. The announcement will also reveal three other teams, with entertaining basketball activities and opportunities for fans to meet and greet players.
With NBXL teams featuring elite players from around the world, UAE league matches will be played at Expo City Dubai with additional league games planned in the US and Saudi Arabia.
No stranger to the UAE, the NXBL hosted two days of basketball activities during Expo 2020 Dubai. It also took part in the 2022, 2023 and 2024 Dubai Schools Games Basketball Championships — an initiative by Dubai Sports Council featuring more than 150 private and public schools.
The partnership reflects Expo City Dubai’s commitment to boost the health and well-being of the community by actively engaging the public in sports, fitness and wellness events.
About Expo City Dubai
• An inclusive innovation-driven, people-centric city of the future and one of five hubs on the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, Expo City Dubai is committed to maximizing its positive social, environmental and economic impact
Designed as a blueprint for sustainable urban living, its roadmap to achieving net zero by 2050 and its broader decarbonization targets raise the bar on responsible urban development
Its ecosystem supports cross-sector collaboration and provides a springboard for businesses of all sizes to scale and grow, enhancing Dubai’s position as a global centre of trade and reinforcing the UAE’s development and diversification ambitions
Its residential communities redefine urban living, exemplifying best practice in innovative, environment-friendly design with a focus on wellbeing and happiness
An incubator for innovation, it is a testbed for solutions and a platform for groundbreaking ideas that benefit both people and the planet
Packed with educational, cultural and entertainment offerings and a go-to destination for globally significant events, it celebrates human creativity and ingenuity and inspires future generations
• The legacy of Expo 2020 Dubai, Expo City Dubai connects businesses, government, organizations, educational institutions, residents and visitors, working together to drive progress and create a better, more equitable, more sustainable future for all
For media enquiries, please contact press.office@expocitydubai.ae
About NBXL
The NBXL is the first-ever independent single entity USA-Middle East based professional basketball league featuring elite players from around the world
NBXL is composed of four league owned franchises representing the United States and Middle East
With an absence of an import rule, a shorter season and the introduction of an in-season tournament cup, NBXL aims to captivate audiences worldwide while fostering cultural exchange and promoting tourism opportunities
More than a decade in the making, NBXL meticulously planned its launch, engaging in extensive research and understanding the dynamics of local, national and international basketball markets
From 2009 to 2020 it operated as a professional basketball team concept playing against other professional teams and leagues worldwide to gain insight into the league
Since transforming into a league in 2020 it has been in the Middle East studying and understanding the culture, customs and basketball markets while actively growing and supporting the game at the grassroots level
In its 2025 inaugural season the NBXL looks to provide an extraordinary basketball experience for players and fans alike, transcending borders and redefining the future of the sport while becoming one of the best professional basketball leagues in the world
For more media inquiries, please contact info@thenbxl.com
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