For families in Abu Dhabi, how much they move each day is no longer a matter of guesswork. The emirate has launched the fifth cycle of the Sports and Physical Activity Survey, an effort by the Department of Community Development, working with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and Statistics Centre Abu Dhabi, to listen directly to the people whose daily routines, habits and hopes shape community life. The survey aims to monitor and analyse sport participation patterns and physical activity levels among residents, while identifying what encourages people to take part and what holds different segments of the community back.
The numbers from the previous cycle suggest something is shifting in everyday life. In the 2025 survey, the proportion of community members meeting the physical activity levels recommended by the World Health Organisation rose to 60.6 per cent, up from 53.6 per cent in 2024. Among UAE nationals, the rate climbed from 45.6 per cent to 54.3 per cent. Children and adolescents achieving 60 minutes of physical activity per day reached 14.8 per cent, and the percentage of People of Determination participating in sport weekly stood at 46.5 per cent. Behind each figure are individuals and households whose routines have changed, whether through more regular exercise, more time outdoors or greater access to sporting opportunities.
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What changed with the new cycle is depth. It asks residents how often and how regularly they are physically active, which sports they practise most and which ones they would like to pursue, and what motivates them or stands in their way. The barriers it examines are the familiar frictions of daily life: time, cost, the availability and accessibility of facilities, and weather conditions. It also measures time spent sitting and the use of walking and cycling for transport, offering a fuller picture of how movement fits into people’s days.
Children aged five to eight receive a dedicated focus. The survey tracks their physical activity levels and their participation in sport both inside and outside school, along with the availability of sporting opportunities and facilities in the neighbourhoods where they live. Parents are asked to assess how physical activity affects their children’s physical and mental health, and how satisfied they are with the opportunities and facilities available to them.
The scope extends further, to how residents experience the places and events where sport happens. Venues, clubs, fitness centres, parks, and walking, running and cycling tracks all fall within the survey’s reach, as does users’ satisfaction with their infrastructure and services. Community members are invited to say how sports events could be improved, whether by increasing the number of community and international events, providing more events for children, reducing participation and attendance costs, or improving accessibility and inclusion. The survey also explores how people perceive the role of sport in promoting physical and mental health and strengthening social cohesion, and how accessible sporting activities and facilities are across Abu Dhabi. Taken together, these questions treat sport as part of quality of life and community participation, not merely exercise.
Officials framed the exercise in similar terms. His Excellency Mohammed Hilal Al Balooshi, Executive Director of the Social Engagement and Empowerment Sector at the Department of Community Development, said the progress achieved through previous cycles reflects tangible advances in embedding physical activity as part of everyday life, but stressed that the figures are a starting point rather than an end in themselves. Through the fifth cycle, he said, the aim is a more precise understanding of people’s experiences with sport, what motivates them, the challenges they face, and what can be improved to make physical activity easier and more accessible for all segments of the community. He encouraged all community members to share their experiences and views, noting that their input helps identify priorities, reveal gaps and direct efforts towards initiatives that respond to the needs of different groups.
Hamda Ahmed Al Mansoori, Executive Director of the Strategic Affairs Sector at the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, described the survey as an important tool for understanding participation patterns across different segments of society and for gaining deeper insight into their needs, aspirations and challenges. She said findings from previous cycles have supported planning and the development of sports programmes, helping to expand opportunities for participation, and invited everyone to take part and contribute to a sporting environment that enhances quality of life.
Residents across the emirate can participate by visiting the department’s digital platforms and completing the survey before 30 October 2026, and participation is possible through bit.ly/4yDiSIH. Every response, organisers say, helps build a more comprehensive picture of sport and physical activity in the emirate and supports an environment that encourages active lifestyles, meets community needs and keeps pace with residents’ aspirations. Whether the next cycle shows the upward trend continuing may depend on who chooses to answer.