The UAE has been awarded hosting rights for the 2027 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Division II Group A.
Al Ain is set to stage the tournament in April 2027, after the UAE bid beat Croatia in a vote at the International Ice Hockey Federation’s Annual Congress in Zurich.
The UAE received 14 votes, while Croatia received 11.
The result gives the country another international event on home soil and brings a senior world championship ice hockey tournament to the region.
A delegation from the UAE Winter Sports Federation attended the congress. It was led by Hamel Ahmed Al Qubaisi, the federation’s vice president, with secretary general Jumaa Al Dhaheri and technical director Mohamad Aref Aljachi also present.
The UAE bid covered the technical, operational and organisational plans for the event.
Al Qubaisi said support for sport in the UAE had played a role in securing the championship. He also said the IIHF’s decision showed the confidence in the country’s ability to stage international events.
The UAE had previously been awarded the 2026 edition before that tournament was cancelled.
The 2027 event will now give the federation another chance to bring international ice hockey to the Emirates, with several national teams expected to compete in Division II Group A.
For UAE winter sport, it is a chance to show how much the game has developed in a country better known for desert heat than ice rinks.
