Historic participation of the UAE in the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics

The UAE flag was raised at the opening ceremony of the twenty-sixth edition of the Winter Olympics yesterday, hosted by the Italian cities of Milan and Cortina, from February 6 to 22, in what is considered the country’s first participation in this major Olympic event.
The opening ceremony was held for the first time simultaneously in four main locations, including the San Siro Stadium in Milan, the Snow Park in Livigno, the city center of Cortina d’Ampezzo, and the Ski Jumping Stadium in Predazzo, where athletes participated in the parade within their competition groups, alongside flag bearers, with the aim of reducing travel time and facilitating the participation of players.
Italian President Sergio Mattarella opened the session during a three-hour ceremony at the San Siro Stadium, highlighting Italian history and lifestyle, with the participation of an elite group of artists, including Mariah Carey and Andrea Bocelli.
About 1,350 volunteers on stage and 700 behind the scenes contributed to organizing the ceremony, in addition to organizing simultaneous marches for athletes in Predazzo, Livigno and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
The ceremony was attended by Secretary General of the National Olympic Committee, Fares Mohammed Al Mutawa, Executive Director of the Committee, Mohammed bin Darwish, and Vice President of the Emirates Winter Sports Federation, Hamel Al Qubaisi.
The UAE is participating in the tournament with Alexander Streje and Bera Hodson in the alpine skiing competitions, which are held over three days, as part of a program that witnesses the participation of about 2,900 athletes from various countries of the world, competing for 114 sets of medals in eight sports and 16 disciplines.
Fares Al Mutawa appreciated this historic participation, stressing the National Olympic Committee’s pride in the country’s athletes who have worked hard over the past years to achieve this eligibility. He pointed out that participation represents a real launch for the UAE Winter Olympic Games, and reflects an integrated strategy for preparation in cooperation with the Emirates Winter Sports Federation in preparation for the upcoming competitions, wishing the athletes success in representing the nation well.
Hamel Al Qubaisi stressed that participation represents an important platform for promoting winter sports in the Emirates and encouraging young people to practice them, with a commitment to providing the best means of support for athletes and expanding the scope of their international presence in a way that reflects the spirit of sports and excellence.
Italy is hosting the Winter Olympics for the third time in its history, after Cortina 1956 and Turin 2006. The Milan-Cortina 2026 tournament is scheduled to record the highest rates of gender balance in the history of the Winter Games, with about 1,362 sessions allocated to female athletes compared to 1,538 male athletes out of 2,900 sessions, in addition to 50 events allocated to women within the official program.