Sports Division Director

ROLE OVERVIEW

The Director of Sports will define and lead Miral’s transversal sports agenda across its destinations and assets. This includes designing and implementing a group-wide sports strategy, overseeing the delivery of activations and events, and unlocking new business opportunities through partnerships with global rights-holders, brands, and key government stakeholders.

The role requires a senior leader with extensive experience in sport, esports, entertainment, and tourism, strong commercial acumen, and the ability to operate at both strategic and executional levels. Acting as Miral’s representative within the sports ecosystem, the Director of Sports will drive internal alignment, manage cross-functional teams, and ensure that Miral’s sports initiatives are impactful, innovative, and sustainable.

Role Scope

Strategy Development

• Audit and integrate current group sports initiatives; identify strengths, gaps, and opportunities across attractions and destinations.
• Design and lead Miral’s transversal Sports Strategy across all assets and business units, covering (but not limited to) product, events, communication, sponsorship, and partnerships.
• Ensure sport contributes to Miral’s business, brand, and CSR objectives in line with Abu Dhabi’s wider tourism and lifestyle agenda.Delivery & Activation

• Lead the execution of sports-related events, programs, and initiatives across Miral’s ecosystem.

• Ensure best-in-class operational standards, from planning to guest experience.

• Introduce new sports properties and formats aligned with Miral’s positioning and visitor expectations.

• Drive innovation to continuously enhance impact and value creation.

Business Development

• Identify and build relationships with major sports organizations, rights-holders, and industry partners to bring new opportunities to Miral.

• Develop long-term collaborations with global and regional stakeholders to strengthen Yas Island and Abu Dhabi’s positioning as a sports destination.

• Represent Miral as the “face of sport” at conferences, industry forums, and expert gatherings, positioning the company as a thought leader in sport, tourism, and entertainment.

• Champion Miral’s vision in external engagements to attract partners, investors, and new business opportunities.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Act as the primary point of contact with key government and institutional stakeholders (e.g., DCT, Ethara, Abu Dhabi Sports Council).

• Ensure internal alignment across departments to integrate sports initiatives into Miral’s wider offering.

• Serve as a catalyst to connect entities and ensure coordination at group level.

• Act as the primary liaison between the department and Miral Destinations Sponsorships and Partnerships team to ensure alignment on external brand alliances, brand positioning & campaign integration.

• Work in close collaboration with the Miral Events & Production team to plan, deliver, and execute all sporting events to the scale, quality, and operational standards required by Miral, ensuring alignment with brand, guest experience, safety, and commercial objectives.

Governance & Leadership

• Define clear KPIs to measure the impact of sports initiatives (visitation, guest satisfaction, financial performance, community participation, brand visibility).
• Oversee budgets and ensure compliance with governance standards.
• Build and lead a high-performing team, while managing external agencies and partners
• Ensure all sponsor deliverables are executed to contractual standards, on time and within agreed brand guidelines.Qualifications, Experience and Skills

Essential

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Marketing, Strategy, or related field.
• Essential: 12+ years at senior level in partnerships, sponsorships, or business development within sport, esports, entertainment, tourism, with direct responsibility for both strategy design and hands-on execution.

• Proven ability to design and implement large-scale partnership strategies for leading Middle East stakeholders.

• Strong negotiation and deal-making track record.

• Deep knowledge of the Middle East ecosystem, including government entities, rights-holders, federations, and brands.

• Demonstrated leadership of cross-functional teams and complex programs; vendor/agency management.

• Excellent communication in English; C-level stakeholder management and executive presence.

• International exposure with global IPs, combined with strong local/regional expertise in the GCC.

Desirable

• Master’s degree / MBA preferred.
• Experience across both venue environments (e.g., major arenas/theme parks) and agency/consultancy roles, providing strong end-to-end perspective. Exposure to theme parks, live entertainment, or destination management is a strong plus.