The NBA is pressing pause on one of its recent overseas routines, and this time the reason is bigger than basketball. After four straight preseason trips to the Middle East, the league is skipping the region this year as the conflict there makes travel impossible to justify. That leaves the league adjusting its international calendar while still keeping plenty of global business on the board.
The NBA has taken its preseason show on the road to Abu Dhabi every year since 2022, turning Etihad Arena into a familiar stop for fans abroad and a useful showcase for the league. That stretch included matchups that helped build the NBA’s presence in the region, with two games staged each year after the first visit. This year, though, that streak ends because of the war overseas.
According to ESPN, the decision comes down to safety and timing, and the league is not lining up a Middle East trip for the preseason. There were no announced games there, and the NBA also has not made any regular-season plans for the region. Even with the slowdown, the league is not pulling back from the international stage as a whole.
China is back on the preseason map this October, marking the NBA’s first return there since 2019. That move shows the league still wants its footprint in major overseas markets, just not in a region where the situation is too volatile right now. The contrast is sharp, and it tells you a lot about how careful the NBA has to be when it spreads its schedule across the globe.
The Middle East had become a growing piece of the NBA’s international push, and league officials had even discussed Saudi Arabia with teams such as the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards. ESPN also reported that Qatar was part of the league’s thinking at one point. Those conversations show the NBA has been exploring ways to deepen its reach, even as current events put one of those plans on hold.
That broader effort is still alive and well in Abu Dhabi. The NBA and Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism extended their partnership in January, and that deal goes beyond a few exhibition games. It includes preseason Global Games, more marketing, and the launch of an NBA Global Academy in the city, all of which point to a long-term relationship rather than a one-off stop.
Abu Dhabi has also become more than a backdrop. It is part of the NBA’s strategy to build habits, grow interest, and make basketball feel local in places far from the usual American arenas. When fans in the United Arab Emirates see stars and teams up close, the league gets a chance to turn curiosity into loyalty, and that matters in a sport that thrives on reach.
The NBA’s regular-season schedule still stretches across the map, with games set for France, England, Mexico and Germany this season. That means the league is not cutting back on its overseas presence overall, even if the Middle East is off the board for now. The international calendar remains busy, and the league seems intent on keeping its footprint wide.
Recent years have made Abu Dhabi a meaningful stop for some of the league’s biggest names, including the New York Knicks, who opened part of their championship run there last October. Moments like that help explain why the NBA has invested so much in the region. The league wants the spotlight, the market, and the momentum, but right now the war is forcing a hard stop on one part of that plan.
