His Excellency Aref Hamad Al Awani has served as the General Secretary of the Abu
Dhabi Sports Council since 2014. The Council, established in 2006, aims to promote
sports and youth activities across the Emirate and support talented athletes.
Al Awani holds a Master of Science in Leadership and Organizational
Development from the Abu Dhabi School of Management. He possesses extensive
experience in management, sports, media, transportation, and communications sectors.
Under his leadership, the Abu Dhabi Sports Council has developed a robust agenda of
international sporting events, successfully attracting major tournaments such as
the FIFA Club World Cup, the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, the Abu Dhabi Triathlon, the Abu
Dhabi Tour and UAE Tour (men’s and women’s), the FINA Marathon Swim World Series
in Abu Dhabi, the Abu Dhabi Marathon, and the Spartan World Championship. He has
also contributed to preparations for the upcoming Abu Dhabi Masters Games 2026 and
the UCI Cycling World Championships in 2028 and 2029.
Al Awani places strong emphasis on community engagement and youth participation,
promoting school and university sports initiatives to foster a culture of sporting
excellence in the Emirate.
Previously, he held key positions at Al Wahda Football Company, Abu Dhabi Sports
Channel, Abu Dhabi Media, Al Wahda Sports Club, and the Emirates Media
Corporation.