Emirates Dubai 7s (rugby sevens)

A tournament born on sand

Rugby sevens is played seven against seven, in two halves of seven minutes: a fast game of running and tackling in which a whole tournament fits into a weekend. Dubai's began in 1970, founded by the Dubai Exiles club with teams from the British army; the first winners, the Staffordshire Regiment, played on sand. The tournament was held at Al Awir until 2008, then at the current Sevens Stadium, opened on 28 November 2008.

Today it opens the season of the HSBC SVNS, the men's and women's world rugby sevens series. More than 88,000 spectators came in 2025.

Three days of festivities

• Friday 27 November: amateur and invitational tournaments, plus five other sports, netball, cricket, fitness, padel and, new in 2026, Gaelic football.
• Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 November: the world series matches.
• In the evening, the "Beats on 2" concerts, with Jax Jones and Melanie C announced.
• For children, a large inflatables zone, a big wheel and a zip line.

The stands are famous for their fancy dress, a tradition regulars hold dear.

Tickets

Prices, unchanged for three years, published when sales opened on 31 August 2026:

A three-day family pass for two adults and two children is advertised at AED 1,136. Tickets are digital only, in the tournament app; printed tickets are not accepted. The ticket seller gives gates opening at 7 am, last entry at 7.30 pm and closing at 8.30 pm local time, with no re-entry; outside food and drink are not allowed, except for babies, and ID is required to buy alcohol.

Getting to the stadium

The Sevens Stadium is in Ud al-Bayda, where the Dubai-Al Ain road (E66) meets the Jebel Ali-Lahbab road (E77), about 35 km south-east of central Dubai. The organisers run free buses from several pick-up points in the city; taxis and ride-hailing cars also serve the stadium, which has around 15,000 parking spaces.

Where to stay

No hotel in the Sabaro selection is near the stadium. The easiest option is to stay in town, where the tournament buses leave from, for example Downtown at Palace Downtown, or in Dubai Marina at The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai. For a trip mixing rugby and desert, Bab Al Shams, a desert resort 45 minutes from the centre, makes a quiet stop; see our Dubai desert page.

In late November the average high is about 31 °C: bring a hat, sunscreen and water for a full day in the stands. The tournament comes a few days before UAE National Day on 2 December and coincides with the end of the Dubai Fitness Challenge, which ends on 29 November.

Large gatherings call for particular vigilance. Foreign ministries do not all give the same advice. Your country's advice:

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