.jpg?h=600&iar=0&w=900&rev=a671695f1ded429d82ae2973e781f60d&hash=38935B7E566391242959A92755570771 "NAS-Dubai-Sixth-Form-Open-Evening-Guidance-Discussion.jpg")
.jpg?h=499&iar=0&w=887&rev=ba9c657b06bd426fa2129ecb75c65308&hash=1C2AB01B256FF64BF318490D47AE266F "principal-classroom-visit-nas-dubai.jpg")
We use cookies to improve your online experiences. To learn more and choose your cookies options, please refer to our cookie policy.
Join our thriving community today
Contact our friendly Admissions team
Sport plays a vital role in student wellbeing, resilience, and academic performance, especially within NAS Dubai’s growing sports culture. With the rise of youth fitness programmes across the UAE, including the Dubai Fitness Challenge and expanding school sports pathways, students are engaging in more physical activity than ever before. Our Elite Sports Pathway, combined with inclusive opportunities such as sports days, fixtures, and regional competitions, helps students build confidence, discipline, and balance both inside and outside the classroom. This blog explores how movement, competitive sport, and community involvement support healthier, happier learners at NAS Dubai.
Physical fitness is a cornerstone of a healthy, balanced lifestyle, especially in school, where days are structured around concentration, deadlines, and high expectations. Taking time each day to move, stretch, or simply get fresh air is proven to support both physical and emotional wellbeing. After an intense exam or an hour spent grappling with a tricky maths concept, movement offers students a chance to decompress, refocus, and return to their learning with renewed clarity.
This matters because physical activity levels among young people in the UAE remain a concern. A UAE report card on physical activity found that only 19% of UAE school children meet the recommended 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity per day. That statistic isn’t there to alarm us; it’s a reminder of how vital schools can be in building healthy habits that last beyond childhood.
“After school, I always feel a bit tired, but once I’m on the pitch, I get this burst of energy. It helps me forget about homework for a bit and just feel lighter.” Year 6 student
For some students, playing sports is more than just "something they do"; it's an integral part of who they are. They train in the mornings, represent the school team, and compete for a club outside of school. Sport becomes something they pursue alongside academics, not in competition with them. It teaches time management, resilience, and self-belief—the kind of skills that show up in the classroom, too.
“Training taught me that if something feels hard at the start, it doesn’t mean you’ll be bad at it forever. I use that in exams now, so I don’t panic straight away.” Year 10 student
In Dubai, one of the biggest examples of this momentum is the growth of large-scale school competitions. The Dubai Schools Games has expanded dramatically, with reports noting over 25,000 students from around 185 schools competing across 25 sports disciplines. This reflects a wider shift: sport is increasingly viewed as a major pillar of student development, alongside academics.
At NAS Dubai, our Elite Sports Pathway supports students who want to push their sporting potential while continuing to thrive academically, ensuring training is purposeful, progress is supported, and opportunities are meaningful.
Dubai’s wider fitness culture also plays a big role in shaping student attitudes towards movement. The Dubai Fitness Challenge, also known as the Dubai 30x30, encourages people to complete 30 minutes of physical activity a day for 30 days and has become a powerful example of community-wide wellbeing.
Research into schools’ participation in Dubai 30x30 found that activity often happened during PE, break times, and before/after school, and that students were often more active when they were outside the regular classroom setting. This matters because it reinforces what we see in school every day: when movement is embedded into the culture and not treated as an “extra”, then students engage more naturally.
“I loved the after‑school circuits because everyone was outside together. It felt like the whole school was part of one big team.” Year 7 student
Sports days, school fixtures, and PE lessons all have the ability to spark a sudden curiosity in a child. A eureka moment of: “Wait...I’m actually really good at this.” Our sports days are designed to involve all students in a friendly, competitive way, and sometimes they reveal talent in the most unexpected places.
.jpg?rev=e0134c1d0d654e4da2f3ad76f6e1ab4b&hash=7065B5F57D086243E4B8AA468A0C8F01)
Theo's discovery of his high-jumping ability during a sports day is evidence that a single experience can alter a student's self-perception.
Kenzie balances his swimming schedule with school by training early in the morning before school and again afterwards, which is a level of dedication that takes planning, consistency, and focus.
Sienna leaps and turns across the stage, starting her GCSE Dance while training hard outside of school to keep improving.
When sport becomes part of a student’s routine, families often become part of the journey by supporting early mornings, weekend fixtures, and the discipline required to balance training with homework. The Dubai 30x30 school-based research found that parent engagement was high, and staff felt the initiative helped bring the community together. That connection matters: students are more likely to sustain healthy habits when encouragement exists at school and at home. At NAS Dubai, we see this in the way families show up, whether it’s cheering at fixtures, supporting training schedules, or celebrating progress that isn’t always captured by a scoreboard.
“The biggest change is their mindset. They don’t give up as easily anymore, whether it’s in training or homework. Sport has definitely made them more resilient.” NAS Dubai parent
We attended the Nord Anglia Middle East Games, taking selected student athletes to compete against peers across the region. It’s a reminder that competition changes meaning outside school walls: students learn adaptability, nerves management, and sportsmanship under pressure.Even at a broader level, youth sport in the UAE is visibly thriving; events like the Gulf Youth Games reported strong performances and participation.
Physical wellbeing doesn’t stop at students. Staff also prioritise health and balance, modelling the behaviours we hope to instil in our learners. Our Friday Morning Fitness sessions, led by Jack from our PE department, bring teachers together to train, release stress, and support their own wellbeing. This reinforces an important message: a clear, healthy mind benefits everyone in the learning community.
The next stage of school sport isn’t only about winning more fixtures. It’s about building a system where every student can find a “place” in movement, whether that’s competitive sport, fitness, dance, or simply discovering confidence through participation.