The Sports Industry Awards presented by Jetour Elite Motor (SPIA) has unveiled its 2026 shortlist after attracting more than 300 submissions from leading organisations and individuals across the Middle East.
\nSPIA\u2019s 13th edition will take place on Wednesday, May 13 at Space42 Arena in Abu Dhabi, returning to the venue for a second-consecutive year. More than 160 entries have progressed to the final stage, underlining the depth and competitiveness of this year\u2019s contenders.\u00a0
\nWith finalists now confirmed, attendees are encouraged to secure their seats or tables early via the official SPIA website.
\nNext month\u2019s event introduces 11 new category fields, creating a more representative framework for the breadth of activity across the industry. Judging has begun, with an independent and expanded panel of experts reviewing all shortlisted entries ahead of the final decisions.
\nSPIA is delivered in partnership with Interact (via Sport Industry Series) and supported by Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC), with the Department of Culture and Tourism \u2013 Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) as Strategic Partner. Motus One returns as Gold Sponsor, with The Athletic as Media Partner and Mramez as Silver Sponsor.
\n\u201cThe growth of SPIA over the past 12 editions has mirrored the development of the sports industry across the region,\u201d said Bassam Nawfal, Managing Director of Sport360X. \u201cThis year\u2019s shortlist reflects the ambition, innovation and impact being delivered across the sector, with new category fields and an expanded judging panel strengthening the programme further.\u201d
\nSPIA continues to reflect the ambition and increasing maturity of the Middle East\u2019s sports ecosystem, with organisations and leaders setting new benchmarks across the industry. The awards recognise progress across both established and emerging areas of the sector.
\n View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sports Industry Awards Middle East (@spia.mena)<\/p>\n
\u201cSPIA was created to provide the region\u2019s sports industry with a platform that genuinely reflects its ambition and capability,\u201d said Sally Corander, Founder of Interact. \u201cWhat we\u2019re seeing across the Middle East is not just growth, but maturity – organisations thinking bigger, projects delivering measurable impact and leaders setting new benchmarks.\u201d
\nBeing shortlisted for SPIA 2026 provides independent industry recognition, strengthening brand credibility and increasing visibility among key stakeholders across the region. Last year\u2019s winners included DP World, TikTok, ADSC, ADNOC, Ethara and the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF), reflecting the calibre of organisations recognised by the awards.
\n2026\u2019s full shortlist is available on spiame.com, as well as across @spia.mena on Instagram and Sport360X on LinkedIn.
\nAbout Sport360X
\nSport360X has been telling the Middle East\u2019s very best sports stories for more than a decade across video, social, gaming and events. It boasts the narrative and creative skills, in Arabic and English, to produce market-leading content that builds affinity with fans and commercial partners alike.
\nAccess is provided to more than 15 million followers on Sport360X\u2019s native social media platforms, plus websites that generate more than 12 million monthly page views.
\nAbout Interact
\nFounded in 2014, Interact was created from a bold vision to inspire a healthier, more active generation.
\nInteract partners with leading brands and government bodies to embed healthy behaviours within communities, spanning the design, delivery and promotion of impactful, large-scale initiatives and events that boost physical activity, support healthier eating and improve mental well-being across diverse populations.
\nMedia contact:
\nMarketing Team, Sport360X
\nE: marketing@sport360x.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Sports Industry Awards presented by Jetour Elite Motor (SPIA) has unveiled its 2026 shortlist after attracting more than 300 submissions from leading organisations and individuals across the Middle East.
\nSPIA\u2019s 13th edition will take place on Wednesday, May 13 at Space42 Arena in Abu Dhabi, returning to the venue for a second-consecutive year. More than 160 entries have progressed to the final stage, underlining the depth and competitiveness of this year\u2019s contenders.\u00a0
\nWith finalists now confirmed, attendees are encouraged to secure their seats or tables early via the official SPIA website.
\nNext month\u2019s event introduces 11 new category fields, creating a more representative framework for the breadth of activity across the industry. Judging has begun, with an independent and expanded panel of experts reviewing all shortlisted entries ahead of the final decisions.
\nSPIA is delivered in partnership with Interact (via Sport Industry Series) and supported by Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC), with the Department of Culture and Tourism \u2013 Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) as Strategic Partner. Motus One returns as Gold Sponsor, with The Athletic as Media Partner and Mramez as Silver Sponsor.
\n\u201cThe growth of SPIA over the past 12 editions has mirrored the development of the sports industry across the region,\u201d said Bassam Nawfal, Managing Director of Sport360X. \u201cThis year\u2019s shortlist reflects the ambition, innovation and impact being delivered across the sector, with new category fields and an expanded judging panel strengthening the programme further.\u201d
\nSPIA continues to reflect the ambition and increasing maturity of the Middle East\u2019s sports ecosystem, with organisations and leaders setting new benchmarks across the industry. The awards recognise progress across both established and emerging areas of the sector.
\n View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sports Industry Awards Middle East (@spia.mena)<\/p>\n
\u201cSPIA was created to provide the region\u2019s sports industry with a platform that genuinely reflects its ambition and capability,\u201d said Sally Corander, Founder of Interact. \u201cWhat we\u2019re seeing across the Middle East is not just growth, but maturity \u2013 organisations thinking bigger, projects delivering measurable impact and leaders setting new benchmarks.\u201d
\nBeing shortlisted for SPIA 2026 provides independent industry recognition, strengthening brand credibility and increasing visibility among key stakeholders across the region. Last year\u2019s winners included DP World, TikTok, ADSC, ADNOC, Ethara and the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF), reflecting the calibre of organisations recognised by the awards.
\n2026\u2019s full shortlist is available on spiame.com, as well as across @spia.mena on Instagram and Sport360X on LinkedIn.
\nAbout Sport360X
\nSport360X has been telling the Middle East\u2019s very best sports stories for more than a decade across video, social, gaming and events. It boasts the narrative and creative skills, in Arabic and English, to produce market-leading content that builds affinity with fans and commercial partners alike.
\nAccess is provided to more than 15 million followers on Sport360X\u2019s native social media platforms, plus websites that generate more than 12 million monthly page views.
\nAbout Interact
\nFounded in 2014, Interact was created from a bold vision to inspire a healthier, more active generation.
\nInteract partners with leading brands and government bodies to embed healthy behaviours within communities, spanning the design, delivery and promotion of impactful, large-scale initiatives and events that boost physical activity, support healthier eating and improve mental well-being across diverse populations.
\nMedia contact:
\nMarketing Team, Sport360X
\nE: marketing@sport360x.com<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/511712"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=511712"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/511712\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":511713,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/511712\/revisions\/511713"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=511712"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=511712"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=511712"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}