His Excellency Sheikh Khalifa bin Tahnoon bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Court, has attended the opening of the 18th Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship at Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi.
Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, the championship is taking place until November 21, bringing together more than 10,000 athletes from 130 countries.
His Excellency Sheikh Khalifa bin Tahnoon bin Mohammed Al Nahyan observed part of the opening day’s competitions in the amateur division and presented awards to a number of winners, reflecting the UAE leadership’s continued support for jiu-jitsu, commitment to developing future champions and efforts to strengthen Abu Dhabi as a global hub for jiu-jitsu.
His Excellency also honoured UAE athletes Asma Al Hosani and Hind Alhashmi, winners of the Fatima Bint Mubarak Women Sports Awards, and congratulated them on their achievements.
The opening ceremony was attended by Sheikh Hamdan bin Sultan bin Hamdan Al Nahyan, Director of International Events at the Abu Dhabi Sports Council; His Excellency Dr Abdulla Humaid Al Jarwan, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy; His Excellency Shamis Ali Khalfan Al Dhaheri, Chairman of the Department of Community Development; His Excellency Hamad Sayah Al Mazrouei, Undersecretary of the Department of Economic Development; His Excellency Dr Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, Undersecretary of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi; His Excellency Abdulmunem Alsayed Mohamed Alhashmi, Chairman of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, President of the Ju-Jitsu Asian Union and Senior Vice President of the Ju-Jitsu International Federation; His Excellency Mohamed Salem Al Dhaheri, Vice Chairman of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation and Chairman of the Championship Organising Committee; His Excellency Aref Hamad Al Awani, General Secretary of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council; His Excellency Youssef Abdullah Al Batran, Board Member of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation; Dr. Nasser Humaid Al Nuaimi, Secretary-General of Tawazun Council for Defence Enablement, and several other government officials.
The 18th edition reflects the championship's continued growth since its launch in 2009. With increasing international participation and an expanding range of competition categories, it has become a major event on the international jiu-jitsu calendar, attracting leading athletes and emerging talent from around the world.
His Excellency Abdulmunem Alsayed Mohamed Alhashmi expressed his sincere gratitude to His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, for the continued support for jiu-jitsu, and to His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for the gracious patronage of the championship and continued support for the sport.
His Excellency Alhashmi said: "The presence of Sheikh Khalifa bin Tahnoon bin Mohammed Al Nahyan at the opening of the championship reflects our leadership's continued support for sport, particularly jiu-jitsu, in which the UAE has achieved great success at regional and international levels.
“The championship has grown significantly over the past 18 years, thanks to our leadership's long-term investment in people and sport. Abu Dhabi has become a major destination for the world’s best athletes and a place where young talents develop. Every year, we work to improve the championship, both in terms of competition and organisation, while bringing together athletes from around the world.
“We are proud of what our athletes have achieved at this championship. We hope this year's edition will help more young athletes develop their skills, promote the values of respect, discipline and fair competition, and encourage more people to take up jiu-jitsu.”
The championship continues on 10 November 2026 with the amateur and para jiu-jitsu competitions, followed by the youth divisions from 11-13 November, the Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Festival from 14-16 November and the masters’ competitions from 17-18 November.
The professional competitions will take place from 19-21 November, followed by the Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Awards ceremony on 22 November.
