Dubai is set to become the hub of baseball in the Middle East and South Asia, with three major events scheduled to take place in the city. On August 1, Baseball United announced the return of top-level baseball to Dubai, following a successful showcase in November of last year.
The first event, the Arab Classic, will feature eight national teams from the region, including the United Arab Emirates, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, and Nepal. This tournament, the largest baseball national team event in the region’s history, will run from November 7 to November 10. It will follow the rules of the World Baseball Classic with some regional adaptations.
In February 2025, the Baseball United Cup will kick off, featuring teams composed of former Major League Baseball stars and local talents. Franchises will represent cities across the UAE, Pakistan, and India, including the Arabia Wolves for Dubai, Mid East Falcons for Abu Dhabi, Karachi Monarchs for Pakistan’s capital, and Mumbai Cobras for India’s largest city. The event will use a round-robin format starting on February 22, leading to semi-finals and a grand final on March 1.
The final event is a full league season featuring the four aforementioned franchise teams plus a new team from Riyadh, with details to be announced later. Each team will play 12 regular season matches, culminating in a best-of-three series to crown the champion. All 33 matches will take place in Dubai over 32 days. Details about the participating former MLB stars will be revealed closer to the event.
The initial Baseball United showcase reached 200 million households and was broadcast in 127 countries. Tickets for the Arab Classic will go on sale next month, with details for the Baseball United Cup and Season One tickets available on the organizer’s website.
