HSBC is proud to have partnered with Dubai Exiles RFC and Dubai Hurricanes RFC to support grassroots rugby in the UAE through the HSBC Youth & Mini Festival for the last 14 years.

This long-term partnership is part of HSBC’s commitment to use the power of sport to create opportunity for communities across the UAE, on and off the pitch.

As well as supporting the festival, HSBC supports the UAE Rugby Player Pathway Program, which has seen 148,500+ Emirati school children pick up a rugby ball since 2011, with 370 schools participating.

But the power of sport to create opportunity doesn’t just extend to the playing field. The business of sport is full of career prospects. This weekend, HSBC will continue to give young people of the UAE the chance to experience those opportunities.

In 2021, Dubai was the birthplace of The HSBC World of Opportunity Programme, a project which gives young people a unique insight into career opportunities in sport off the pitch. The programme has since been rolled out in Vancouver, LA, London, Sydney, and Hong Kong. Through this, HSBC has worked with 9 organisations, NGOs and charities across the globe, showcasing sporting opportunities off the pitch to over 120 young adults / teenagers.

Two Emirati girls, Fatima Allengawi and Zainb Alsuwaidi, attended The World of Opportunity Programme in Dubai 2022, and progressed through the PPP into Al Maha, were even selected into the National Women’s 7s team who recently won the Rugby Trophy Tournament (in Doha).

In December 2023, HSBC partnered with GEMS, the largest school network in the Middle East, to deliver the World of Opportunity Programme at the Emirates Dubai 7s, with the largest programme delivered so far. This weekend, that group will return for a new experience, as they try their hand at commentary, social media content creation and much more at the 2024 HSBC Youth & Mini Festival.

Hosting the programme will be HSBC Global Ambassador Danielle ‘Nolli’ Waterman, an ex-England international rugby player who in her career won the World Cup, multiple Six Nations trophies and competed for Team GB at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Nolli was instrumental to the creation of the World of Opportunity Programme, which was inspired by her experience transitioning to a new career in rugby commentary and the hurdles she faced. She has gone on to host multiple programmes alongside HSBC, and will be back at the 2024 HSBC Youth & Mini Festival to pass on her advice to the young people from GEMS.

Look out for the young people of the HSBC World of Opportunity Programme this weekend at The Sevens Stadium, Dubai and follow their journey on the HSBC UAE Instagram.