NBA signs deal to play preseason games in Abu Dhabi

FILE - Tourists walk through Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque at dusk in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020. Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, has issued new rules governing divorce, inheritance and child custody for non-Muslims, the country's state-run news agency reported Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell, File) (Jon Gambrell, Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

ABU DHABI – The NBA is bringing two preseason games to Abu Dhabi next season, marking the first time the league will play in the Arabian Gulf.

The games will be in October 2022. The exact dates and the teams involved have not been announced.

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No preseason games have been played outside of North America since 2019 because of the pandemic, though the league has said for months it was targeting a return to overseas games in 2022.

“Abu Dhabi is a vibrant multicultural hub with a demonstrated track record of hosting world-class sporting events," said NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum, who was in Abu Dhabi to sign the league's multiyear agreement with tourism officials there.

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