Sole acquires stake in UAE basketball league Ball Above All

Contemporary culture platform and operator of the annual Sole DXB festival, Sole, has acquired a stake in the UAE’s basketball league, Ball Above All.

Together, the new partnership relaunches the basketball league as Sole Ball Above All (SBAA).

The two sides started working together in 2014, bringing Sole DXB its first streetball tournament, with five-on-five games.

As both sides continued to work together on the annual tournament, Ball Above All founder, Belal Abiad, continued to develop the league.

Today, the company boasts a multi-league, three season per year calendar with over 80 teams from across Dubai.

Tournaments are held with seasonal stats and records maintained for participating teams. SBAA also runs an academy specialising in training for all ages of men and women to improve their skills.

Sole Ball Above All said that it would work to expand the footprint of the sport and broaden its appeal across multiple market segments. They will also be expanding into other sports, with details expected to be shared at a later date.

“Since we started working together, we’ve admired Belal’s work ethic, business acumen, and his pure love of the game. We’ve just scratched the surface of what’s possible for the cross section of sports and lifestyle, across this region, and we can’t think of a better person to go on this journey with. Basketball is more than just a sport, it’s an entire culture,” said Joshua Cox, co-founder of Sole.

The next seasons begins on January 15, with the deadline to register to join the league being December 15.