NBA Middle East Preseason Paused
NBA Pauses 2026 Middle East Preseason Games, Citing Regional Instability
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Key Points
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Last season's Abu Dhabi preseason featured a two-game set between the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers (Oct. 2-4), marking the Knicks' participation in the UAE slate that year.
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Doha, Qatar was discussed as a potential NBA host city for preseason games, but those plans were never finalized; Doha is also slated to host the 2027 FIBA World Cup.
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In January, the NBA extended its long-term global games agreement with Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism, with the league signaling that preseason games will be scheduled in Abu Dhabi in the future.
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The NBA is continuing its broader international footprint this season, with regular-season games scheduled in France, England, Mexico, and Germany, highlighting ongoing expansion beyond the Middle East.
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Regional sports scheduling during instability includes contingency planning outside basketball as Formula 1 outlined possible venue substitutions for the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix, underscoring wider regional disruption.
The NBA will not play preseason games in the Middle East this fall, marking the first time since 2022 the league has skipped the region, according to ESPN. The decision stems from ongoing regional instability tied to the war involving the United States and Iran.
The league had held preseason games in Abu Dhabi for four straight years, most recently a two-game set between the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers in October 2025, Connecting Travel reported. Those runs are now on pause.
Which Teams Were in Line to Play Abroad
The NBA had early talks with four franchises about a potential Middle East trip: the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets, and Washington Wizards, according to Connecting Travel. Abu Dhabi and Doha, Qatar were both considered as host cities for those games.
Neither city was confirmed before the league pulled back. Doha had extra buzz as a potential NBA stop — the city is already set to host the 2027 FIBA World Cup. But no final plans were ever made, and the discussions quietly ended.
Abu Dhabi Deal Still Stands, Games Just Delayed
The NBA's long-term partnership with Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism is not dead. In January 2026, the league renewed that agreement, Marca reported. The NBA has made clear it plans to return to Abu Dhabi for preseason games in future seasons.
The league framed this year's decision as a pause, not an exit. Regional conflict made staging games there too uncertain for 2026. The door, according to league signals, stays open for Qatar as well.
NBA's Global Ambitions Keep Growing Elsewhere
Skipping the Middle East does not mean the NBA is pulling back globally. This season the league has regular-season games scheduled in France, England, Mexico, and Germany as part of its Global Games initiative, Connecting Travel reported. The international calendar is busier than ever.
The NBA has spent years building an international footprint. The Abu Dhabi games were part of that push — four consecutive years of preseason action at the Etihad Arena, Fox News noted. That run is broken for now, but the broader expansion strategy remains intact.
Regional Sports Feel the Ripple Effects of War
The NBA is not alone in rethinking Middle East plans. Formula 1 has outlined possible backup venues for both the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix amid the same regional instability, according to Head Topics. Sports leagues across the board are drawing up contingency plans.
The pattern is clear: as long as the conflict continues, major international sports events face real uncertainty in the Gulf. For the NBA, the calculus was simple — the risk of staging games there in 2026 outweighed the reward. The league will reassess when conditions change.
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