Shabab Al Ahli has renewed its partnership with Mai Dubai, confirming the bottled water company as the club's golden sponsor for the 2025-2026 season. The deal continues a relationship that has become a regular feature in the UAE sports business scene, with both sides showing their intention to keep the partnership central to the club's activities.
The signing ceremony brought together several key figures: Khalifa Saeed Suleiman, Vice Chairman of Shabab Al Ahli's board; Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Chairman of Mai Dubai; Major General Talal Al Shinqiti, Chairman of Shabab Al Ahli Football Company; Engineer Waleed Bin Salman, Vice Chairman of Mai Dubai; Abraham Kah, CEO of Mai Dubai; and Khaled Al Zahed, Shabab Al Ahli's managing director. Players Federico Cartabia and Nemanja Maksimović also attended, reflecting the club's approach of involving its athletes in major commercial events.
Mai Dubai is wholly owned by Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), making this sponsorship a government-linked partnership rather than a purely private brand deal.
Mai Dubai, owned by Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, is a major player in the bottled water market. Its ongoing partnership with Shabab Al Ahli is part of a broader effort to support national initiatives and the UAE's sports sector. According to Al Bayan, the renewal was jointly announced by Shabab Al Ahli and Mai Dubai on 18 September 2026, and is described as a continuation of a "successful" partnership.
Shabab Al Ahli's leadership has described Mai Dubai as a key strategic partner. The club sees this collaboration as part of a wider effort to align state institutions with the sports sector, following the UAE's leadership directives. DEWA's public statements confirm that in 2026, the authority is focused on sustainability and public-sector initiatives, which ties into the Mai Dubai sponsorship as part of a larger state-backed strategy.
These kinds of sponsorship renewals are part of a wider trend in the UAE's sports industry, with other recent developments reported earlier showing the country's growing role as a host for major sporting events and partnerships.
The sponsorship renewal comes at a pivotal time for Shabab Al Ahli, who secured a 1-0 victory over Tractor in the AFC Champions League Elite at Rashid Stadium in September 2026. According to The National, this period marks heightened competitive activity for the club, coinciding with the AFC Champions League Elite's expansion into a new league phase as reported by Reuters.
By extending its partnership with Mai Dubai, Shabab Al Ahli continues to work with national brands to strengthen its operations and reinforce its identity as a leading UAE football club. The club's ability to secure and maintain high-level sponsorships reflects its organisational stability and its position in Emirati sport and business.
