The ISD Dubai Sports City is a multi-sport facility in Dubai with a growing role in youth and professional football.
The venue is home to United FC, the club founded in 2022 and who, under Andrea Pirlo, have just won promotion to the UAE Pro League. They work with young players through academy programmes, school partnerships and its link with the Real Madrid Foundation.
Leading the way at ISD is CEO Daniels Petrovs. For him, youth development is important for Dubai’s sporting ambitions and he believes ISD can play a role in creating clearer pathways for young players in the UAE.
“Football has a unique ability to shape a city’s sporting culture, and youth development is where that process begins,” Petrovs told The National.
“The players coming through our programmes today are the professionals, coaches, and ambassadors of tomorrow – and that’s something we think about deeply at ISD.”
Through its partnership with the Real Madrid Foundation, ISD wants young players in Dubai to receive a football education that goes beyond mastering technique, while highlighting the importance of families in a person’s development.
“The partnership with the Real Madrid Foundation brings one of the most respected football methodologies in the world directly to young players here in Dubai,” Petrovs said.
“Every session delivered by our 23 Uefa-certified coaches combines game-based learning, physical development, and a genuine focus on values like confidence, teamwork and character.
“We see parents as genuine partners in every child’s development. Over 7,400 children come through ISD via our local school partnerships every year, and that tells you something about the trust that families and institutions place in us.”
In a city where children from different backgrounds and football cultures train together, he says the environment helps raise standards.
“Dubai’s diversity is actually one of our greatest advantages,” he said. “When a young player trains alongside peers from across the world, it raises the level and builds real resilience in a way that’s hard to replicate elsewhere.”
The facility has also continued to invest in infrastructure, including indoor and outdoor pitches and planned upgrades that include the region’s first Fifa-certified infill-less turf.
For Petrovs, the long-term aim is for ISD to become a place where football development and community intersect.
“We see ISD becoming a place where the next generation of UAE football is shaped – where a kid who kicks a ball here today becomes a professional tomorrow, and where the community around that journey is just as strong as the football itself,” he added.