Avangard and Ak Bars will play in KHL World Games match in Dubai on December 3

On October 17, the Memorandum of Understanding was signed in the United Arab Emirates between the Kontinental Hockey League, Avangard hockey club, Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, and Dubai Sports Council. The parties agreed to make concerted efforts to develop hockey and promote the image of the KHL in the UAE; and holding the Dubai Ice Show will be the first step towards achieving this strategic goal.

Dubai Ice Show will be held from December 3 till December 5, 2021. On December 3, the KHL regular season game between the most recent Gagarin Cup winner Avangard Omsk and Ak Bars Kazan will be played within the framework of the KHL World Games. The game is timed to coincide with the official Day of Russia at Expo 2020 and will be held at Coca Cola Arena – the multipurpose indoor complex with a capacity of 17 000, and 12 000 for ice hockey games. 

In addition, on December 4 and 5, Coca-Cola Arena will host the “Sleeping Beauty” ice show, a modern exciting theatrical show directed by Tatiana Navka, the Olympic champion in figure skating. The main female role in the musical on ice will be performed by Tatiana Navka and Olympic figure skating champion Alina Zagitova.

Alexey Morozov, KHL President:

- We are excited about the KHL World Games project being resumed after almost two years! The UAE will become the 15th country to host a KHL game, and we are very pleased that the most recent Gagarin Cup winner Avangard Omsk and the only three-time champion of our League Ak Bars will go to Dubai. The match-up of these two teams during the latest playoffs resulted in one of the best series in the entire KHL history. The upcoming game is bound to be hard fought and spectacular. We appreciate the cooperation with Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, Dubai Sports Council, and Avangard hockey club enabling the game to be played in such a remarkable location.

The UAE is a promising market for the development of hockey, and we will make every effort possible to ensure that getting acquainted with the KHL and our game will become an outstanding and memorable event for Dubai.

Alexander Krylov, Avangard HC Board of Directors Chairman:

- Having received an offer from the League to hold a game in the UAE, Avangard was pleased to support this initiative. Significantly, the event will take place on the Day of Russia in Dubai, it is an honor and a big responsibility for us. We are current champions not only on ice, but off ice as well - in marketing, interacting with mass media, social media, so I have no doubt that our expertise and experience will help us to organize Dubai Ice Show perfectly well. It is a great new challenge for our club. The Arena that has not hosted any hockey games needs to be prepared for an official KHL game in a short span of time. We need to work out many details. I am confident that we will succeed in holding an event that will be a source of pride not only for the KHL, but for the country in general. In the near future, the start of ticketing for Dubai Ice Show will be announced. We are planning to hold a number of bright and memorable events, including Tatiana Navka’s “Sleeping Beauty” ice show, so that people in Dubai get a chance to explore Russian hockey and ice sports. We are looking forward to see you in Dubai in early December!

His Excellency Saeed Hareb, Secretary General of Dubai Sports Council:

- We are really excited about Dubai Ice Show as we sign this MOU alongside Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, with our partners from Russia, Kontinental Hockey League and Avangard Hockey Club.

Dubai is home to people from more than 195 countries, including a big number from Russia and other countries where ice hockey is a hugely popular sport. The Dubai Ice Show is going to be a fantastic event for them, as well as others, including Emirati fans of ice sports.

The event is planned for early December, between December 3-5. December 4 will be the official Day of Russia at Expo 2020. It is going to be a perfect opportunity for families to spend some great days together. There are many activities planned, including a spectacular theatrical “Sleeping Beauty” show on ice featuring world-famous stars of figure skating from Russia, and an ice-hockey match between two top teams from Russia.

We at Dubai Sports Council are always excited about bringing new events to Dubai for different members of our diverse community. Ice Hockey is one of the most popular sports in the world with millions of fans around the globe, including many in Dubai, and we are looking forward to three days of great action and entertainment on ice this December.

Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment at Dubai Tourism:

- We are delighted to sign this MoU with the Kontinental Hockey League, Avangard hockey club and Dubai Sports Council for a unique collaboration in sports entertainment. The Dubai Ice Show highlights Dubai’s position as a leading events destination and also supports the city’s ongoing efforts to boost sports tourism.  With ice hockey being a very popular sport followed passionately by millions of fans around the world, Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment is pleased to provide its utmost support and cooperation in promoting this game further in this part of the world, especially through our well known digital platform, Dubai Calendar, which curates and manages the official listing of key events and entertainment in Dubai. We look forward to welcoming to our city, the internationally acclaimed hockey teams, as well as world famous figure skating stars.  With the health and safety of all guests, team members, performers and staff remaining our top priority, the hosting of the ice hockey event also reaffirms Dubai’s position as one of the world’s safest destinations.

Nail Maganov, Ak Bars HC President:

— We have enthusiastically accepted the League’s offer to play a game against Avangard in Dubai. It is an honor for us to represent the country and the republic abroad, and to support the official Day of Russia at Expo 2020. We are happy that the match-up between Avangard and Ak Bars was chosen by the KHL to demonstrate the power and the attractiveness of our hockey. These are the two strongest clubs of the Eastern Conference which drive the entire industry forward. We will do our best so that the first experience of attending a high-level hockey game becomes memorable for people in Dubai.

Reference

KHL World Games – KHL regular season games relocated abroad. The KHL World Games project was launched in the 2018-2019 season with the purpose of popularization of the League outside Russia.

On October 26 and 28, 2018 Slovan Bratislava faced SKA St. Petersburg and “CSKA” Moscow in Vienna. A month later, on November 26 and 28, two more match-ups were hosted in Zurich - Dinamo Riga versus the same teams – SKA and CSKA. On December 23, 2019, prior to the start of the Spengler Cup, Salavat Yulaev Ufa faced Ak Bars Kazan in Davos. On January 9 and 10, 2020, two games were played in Tallinn between Jokerit and Severstal.

Coca Cola Arena – opened in June 2019, Coca-Cola Arena has revolutionised the live entertainment industry in the UAE and throughout the Middle East. Capable of hosting live shows 365 days a year, the fully air-conditioned, 17,000-capacity arena establishes Dubai as a major destination on the global events circuit. Coca-Cola Arena’s unique automated seating design means it can be adapted to international and local events of all sizes, from international touring artists, sporting tournaments, e-gaming, comedy and live theatre and musical performances, to conferences, gala dinners, AGMs and weddings. Located in the heart of City Walk, Dubai’s lifestyle destination, Coca-Cola Arena is a 15-minute drive from Dubai International Airport and a 5-minute walk from the closest Dubai Metro Station. The region’s largest multipurpose indoor arena, Coca-Cola Arena is an asset of Dubai Holding’s entertainment portfolio and is managed by ASM Global, the world’s leading venue management and services company. 

Expo 2020 – the international exhibition that is a symbol of industrialization and a demonstration site designed to showcase the technical and technological achievements of the participating countries. It is hosted in Dubai (UAE) from October 1, 2021 till March 31, 2022 under the slogan "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future". As of today, 191 countries have confirmed their participation in the exhibition.

Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) – with the ultimate vision of positioning Dubai as the world’s leading tourism destination and commercial hub, Dubai Tourism’s mission is to increase the awareness of Dubai among global audiences and to attract tourists and inward investment into the emirate. Dubai Tourism is the principal authority for the planning, supervision, development and marketing of Dubai’s tourism sector. It markets and promotes the Emirate’s commerce sector and is responsible for the licensing and classification of all tourism services including hotels, tour operators and travel agents. Brands and departments within the Dubai Tourism portfolio include Dubai Business Events, Dubai Calendar and Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment.