Brief
Kenny Dalglish promotes Abu Dhabi sports city project for community and athletes
Dalglish says the ZPTM Abu Dhabi project will combine elite facilities with schools, housing and a wellness hotel, targeting completion by 2032.
By Felo News Desk · Published
In an exclusive interview with Gulf News, former Liverpool player and manager Sir Kenny Dalglish described a new Abu Dhabi sports city as a "fantastic opportunity for the local community" (Gulf News, 2026-10-09). Dalglish, representing JT Seven Group Ltd, joined Shamsa Alfahim, chief executive officer of Abu Dhabi National Investment and Development (ADID), to present the ZPTM Abu Dhabi vision on 7 October.
The integrated development is planned as an ambitious destination that merges sport, education, technology and residential living. Core components include multi‑sport training venues, a professional athlete campus, recovery and medical facilities, testing and analytics infrastructure, an esports and mind‑sports centre, a sports‑and‑wellness hotel and a residential neighbourhood of roughly 1,700 apartments, semi‑detached villas and villas. A central feature will be an elite sports boarding school that combines academic education with specialist coaching, high‑performance training and athlete wellbeing, slated to open in 2029. The overall project is expected to be fully completed by 2032.
Dalglish emphasized that the scheme is not solely for elite athletes. "What we’re building offers a fantastic opportunity for the local community here in Abu Dhabi… it’s going to be for everybody," he told Gulf News. He praised the rapid transformation of the emirate over the past decade, noting that the city has become more impressive and that he feels "extremely excited" to help the country and its community through the partnership with ADID.
The initiative aligns with Abu Dhabi’s broader livability agenda, which recent Felo News coverage linked to the Cities for Families Framework unveiled at LIVEX 2026 and the emirate’s rising quality‑of‑life score. By integrating sports, education and housing, the ZPTM Abu Dhabi project aims to support young athletes in reaching their full potential while contributing to the city’s inclusive neighbourhood goals.
Key facts
- Sir Kenny Dalglish is promoting the ZPTM Abu Dhabi sports city project with ADID. (gulfnews.com)
- The development will include a boarding school, residential units, elite training facilities and an esports centre. (gulfnews.com)
- The boarding school is targeted to open in 2029; the whole project aims for completion by 2032. (gulfnews.com)
- Around 1,700 apartments, semi‑detached villas and villas are planned for the residential neighbourhood. (gulfnews.com)
- Dalglish said the project offers a "fantastic opportunity for the local community" and is not just for elite athletes. (gulfnews.com)
Sources
- [1] gulfnews.com — originally reported as “Sir Kenny Dalglish Unveils Abu Dhabi Sports City Plans to Empower Local Community”
