The NBA will not play any preseason games in the Middle East for the first time in five years, a decision shaped by the ongoing military conflict between the United States and Iran and the broader instability it has created across the region.
The league had been in discussions with four franchises about potentially participating in games in Abu Dhabi this fall, as it had done for each of the previous four preseasons. The Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards were among the teams that had been in conversations with the league about the possible trip. None of those discussions resulted in finalized plans, and no games were ever publicly announced.
The league had also been exploring the possibility of hosting a game in Doha, Qatar, a location it had not previously used for preseason play. One scenario under consideration would have had two of the four teams play one game in Qatar and one in Abu Dhabi on the same trip. The Qatar Investment Authority is a minority owner of the parent company of the Wizards franchise.
Context for the decision
Abu Dhabi has been the NBA’s primary international partner in the Middle East over the past several years. In January, the league and the Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi announced an extension of their existing collaboration, which had featured preseason games, expanded marketing activities and the planned launch of an NBA development academy in the capital of the United Arab Emirates. The partnership remains intact, and sources indicated that preseason games in Abu Dhabi will return in future years once conditions allow.
The Qatar exploration was newer. The timing had been partly linked to the 2027 FIBA World Cup, which is scheduled to be played in Doha, with an NBA preseason game intended as part of the buildup to that event. Whether that concept moves forward will depend on how the regional security situation evolves, and sources said there is no current timeline.
The conflict’s reach into the sports world has been visible across multiple leagues. Formula 1 announced on Sunday that its previously postponed race in Bahrain would be relocated to Malaysia in October, and the racing series is still working through decisions about its scheduled events in Qatar and Abu Dhabi later this year.
The NBA’s Middle East investment
The NBA has made the Middle East a meaningful part of its international expansion strategy. The region has attracted significant sports investment from sovereign wealth funds and government-affiliated entities, and basketball has been among the beneficiaries of that attention. Multiple ownership stakes in NBA franchises have been acquired by Middle Eastern investors in recent years, and the league has worked to build its footprint in markets where interest in the sport has been growing.
The Abu Dhabi preseason games have served both commercial and developmental purposes. Commercially, they connect the NBA brand to a market where significant wealth is concentrated and where sports consumption is high. Developmentally, they tie into a broader effort to grow the talent pipeline in the region, which the new academy in Abu Dhabi was intended to support.
The most recent Abu Dhabi games featured the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers, who played a pair of preseason contests there in October ahead of the 2025-26 season. That visit was the latest in a series of annual trips that had established Abu Dhabi as a reliable and growing stop on the league’s international calendar.
What this season looks like without the games
The absence of Middle East preseason games does not alter the league’s broader preseason structure. For the four teams that had been in discussions, the trip would have been both a competitive warmup and a significant commercial and marketing opportunity. Its absence means those teams will prepare for the regular season through more conventional domestic preseason schedules.
The decision reflects a reality that sports leagues are increasingly navigating geopolitical environments that shape where games can be played. The NBA has not characterized the pause as permanent, framing it as a response to current conditions rather than a policy change about the Middle East as a destination.
