Burjeel recognised as healthcare partner of title-winning Al Ain FC

Abu Dhabi, Al Ain: Al Ain FC’s ADNOC Pro League title win has brought renewed attention to one of the country’s most successful football clubs and to the support systems that help sustain performance at the highest level. For Burjeel Holdings, the achievement carries added significance. As Al Ain FC’s healthcare partner, the Group is connected to a championship-winning club at a time when sports medicine, rehabilitation, emergency readiness, and athlete wellness are becoming central to the modern game.

During the victory celebrations, Burjeel Holdings was honored as Al Ain FC’s medical partner, with Omran Al Khoori, Member of the Board of Directors, receiving the recognition on behalf of the Group.

The 2025-2026 season has also underlined the wider reach of Burjeel’s football partnerships. Alongside Al Ain’s league success, Al Jazira FC finished fourth and Al Wahda FC fifth, while Al Dhafra FC managed to avoid relegation and retain its place in the UAE’s top flight.

A partnership linked to champions

The Group’s association with Al Ain FC stands out because of the club’s stature in UAE and Asian football. In 2024, Al Ain reinforced its continental standing by winning the AFC Champions League 2023-2024 title, defeating Yokohama F. Marinos in the final and securing a second Asian crown. This year, the club added another major milestone by becoming ADNOC Pro League champions.

Congratulating the club, Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, Chairman and CEO of Burjeel Holdings, said, “Al Ain FC’s success is a proud moment for UAE football and a reflection of how sport continues to inspire communities across the country. As the club’s healthcare partner, we are honored to support a team that represents excellence, discipline, and ambition. By bringing together medical expertise, rehabilitation, recovery support, and wellness infrastructure, we aim to help players and teams perform at their best while contributing to the continued growth of football in the UAE.”

Healthcare becomes Integral part of sports

Over the past decade, healthcare in sport has expanded beyond matchday coverage to include specialised medicine, injury prevention, rehabilitation, physiotherapy, recovery planning, nutrition, wellness coaching, and emergency care.

This is where healthcare groups with multidisciplinary capabilities like Burjeel Holdings are becoming important to professional sports. Burjeel’s support extends across medical checks, treatment pathways, rehabilitation services, and wellness-led programs that help athletes recover, return safely, and maintain readiness across demanding seasons.

A wider football footprint

For clubs, healthcare partnerships help players manage injuries, recover with confidence, and access specialist care when needed. They also support matchday preparedness, emergency response, and the wider health environment around teams.

Burjeel’s presence across Al Jazira, Al Wahda, and Al Dhafra reflects a broader engagement with UAE football. Al Jazira and Al Wahda’s top-five finishes show the Group’s association with clubs competing near the upper end of the league, while Al Dhafra’s survival highlights the importance of support across different competitive realities.

Pandemic-era sport showed the scale of medical support

Burjeel’s role in sports healthcare became especially clear during the AFC Champions League 2021 Group Stage in Sharjah, when the UAE Football Association appointed the Group as the official partner for the tournament. At a time when international sport was still navigating the operational challenges of the pandemic, Burjeel provided the comprehensive medical cover, bio-secure systems, and testing support needed for players, officials, and support staff.

The tournament showed how healthcare infrastructure had become central to staging major sporting events safely and professionally. That experience formed part of a wider sports contribution during the pandemic period. Burjeel also supported major cricket events hosted in the UAE, including the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, where large-scale medical cover and bio-secure arrangements were critical to the successful delivery of the tournaments. These engagements reflected the Group’s ability to support sport beyond a single discipline, from international cricket to elite football.

Beyond treatment

For Vinay Menon, former Chelsea FC wellness coach and Head of Sports and Wellness at Burjeel Holdings, such partnerships reflect a larger shift in sport. “Modern football demands a complete support system around the athlete. Performance is no longer shaped only by training and matchday preparation. Recovery, sleep, mobility, nutrition, emotional balance, injury prevention, and rehabilitation all play a decisive role. Partnerships between clubs and healthcare providers are important because they bring clinical expertise, sports science, and wellness together in a structured way,” said Menon.

The UAE consistently positions sport as a pillar of national development, linking elite performance with youth, community, and public health. Burjeel’s role as Health and Community Wellness Partner to the Abu Dhabi Sports Council reinforces this vision, connecting event medical support with broader wellness initiatives. Burjeel’s expanding sports role aligns with its healthcare mission, and shows how medicine, performance, and community wellness are intertwined in the nation’s sporting scene.