Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 14 April 2025: Majid Al Futtaim’s Ski Dubai, in partnership with the UAE Winter Sports Federation, proudly welcomed the UAE delegation of the Special Olympics World Winter Games Turin 2025 at a homecoming celebration in their honour on 10 April at Ski Dubai, Mall of the Emirates, reinforcing the nation’s commitment to championing and advancing inclusion in sports.
The UAE delegation, comprised of 11 athletes of determination, proudly represented the nation as its largest team to date at the Special Olympics World Winter Games Turin 2025. Held from 08-15 March, the delegation achieved outstanding success, securing an impressive tally of 16 medals, including 4 Gold, 5 Silver, and 7 Bronze medals.
During their homecoming celebration, the athletes showcased their world-class talent by performing a synchronised skiing and snowboarding run and carrying the UAE Flag and Special Olympics Flag on the snow-covered slopes of Ski Dubai, in front of their families, coaches, senior officials from the UAE Government, Special Olympics UAE, Majid Al Futtaim, and key media partners.
The exclusive event was held in the presence of H.E. Talal Al Hashemi, National Director of the Special Olympics UAE, Ahmed Galal Ismail, CEO of Majid Al Futtaim Holding, Ignace Lahoud, CEO of Majid Al Futtaim Entertainment, Mohammad El Etri, Managing Director of Operations of Majid Al Futtaim Entertainment, and representatives of Special Olympics UAE.
H.E. Talal Al Hashemi, National Director, Special Olympics UAE, said “We are incredibly proud of our athletes who represented the UAE with passion, perseverance, and pride at the Special Olympics World Winter Games Turin 2025. Their remarkable achievement of 16 medals is not just a testament to their talent, but also to the power of inclusion and what can be accomplished when individuals of determination are given the opportunity to thrive. Our heartfelt thanks go to Majid Al Futtaim and the UAE Winter Sports Federation for their unwavering support in preparing our delegation. This homecoming celebration is a reminder of the progress we are making as a nation towards building a more inclusive sporting community.”
Ignace Lahoud, CEO of Majid Al Futtaim Entertainment, said, “We are extremely proud to see our homegrown athletes achieve the historic victory they deserve. For over a year, our world-class facilities at Ski Dubai and Snow Abu Dhabi have been a training ground for their incredible talent, determination, and resilience, and now the rest of the world has witnessed it too.”
“Majid Al Futtaim is committed to making winter sports accessible for all, right in the heart of the desert. Through the transformative power of sports, we aim to foster inclusivity and celebrate diversity among people of determination. We look forward to strengthening our partnership with Special Olympics and UAE Winter Sports Federation to continue achieving the extraordinary.”
Since 2024, the ongoing partnership between Majid Al Futtaim and Special Olympics UAE have made winter sports even more accessible to athletes with intellectual disabilities by focusing on talent identification, team building, skill development, performance monitoring, and overall readiness, empowering them to reach new heights and represent their country on the global stage.
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About Majid Al Futtaim
Founded in 1992, Majid Al Futtaim is an Emirati-owned, diversified lifestyle conglomerate operating across the Middle East, Africa and Asia. The Group started from one man’s vision to transform the face of shopping, entertainment, and leisure to ‘create great moments for everyone, every day’. It has since grown into one of the region’s most respected businesses, employing more than 43,000 people, with owned assets valued at US$19 billion and has the highest credit rating (BBB) among privately held corporates in the region. Majid Al Futtaim owns and operates 29 shopping malls, seven hotels and five mixed-use communities, welcoming more than 600 million customers through its doors every year.
It is the proud owner of the flagship Mall of the Emirates, Mall of Egypt, and Mall of Oman with the iconic City Centre shopping malls rounding out its portfolio across the region. As the developer of choice for the region, Majid Al Futtaim is the creator of mixed-use communities including Ghaf Woods and Tilal Al Ghaf in Dubai and Al Mouj in Muscat.
Majid Al Futtaim holds the exclusive rights to operate Carrefour across 12 markets in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, with a network of over 390 stores. In Egypt, it also owns and operates Supeco, a low-cost hybrid grocery retail concept while HyperMax is its newest grocery retail brand recently launched in Jordan and Oman.
The Group operates more than 600 VOX Cinemas screens as well as a portfolio of world-class leisure and entertainment experiences across the region. These include two ski locations in Dubai and Cairo, two snow parks in Abu Dhabi and Oman, as well as family entertainment centres such as Magic Planet, Little Explorers, Activate, Yalla! Bowling, Dreamscape and IFLY.
Majid Al Futtaim partners with world-class fashion, home, specialty retail and beauty brands, operating over 90 stores across the GCC and 27 e-commerce platforms. Its portfolio includes lululemon, LEGO, Crate and Barrel, Shiseido and THAT, a Majid Al Futtaim multi-brand concept store and app. These offerings are powered by the UAE’s fastest growing loyalty programme SHARE, which offers customers a more personalised and data driven experience.
Press Release :Majid Al Futtaim Group
