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Abu Dhabi Shaheen and Storms: the Abu Dhabi ice hockey clubs

Abu Dhabi Shaheen, Storms and Highlanders: titles, season records, 2026-27 form, home rink and how to watch or start ice hockey in the capital. Sourced.

Short answer

  • Three of the six 2026-27 Emirates Hockey League teams are from Abu Dhabi: Shaheen, Storms and Highlanders.
  • Shaheen won the 2024-25 and 2025-26 titles, per Elite Prospects. Storms lost the final in six of the seven seasons after their 2018-19 title.
  • Wikipedia gives Zayed Sports City as home rink for Storms and Shaheen. Highlanders' rink is not stated.
  • Shaheen and Storms were both 3-0 and Highlanders 1-2 when we checked on 3 November 2026.
  • None of the three publishes trial details we could verify, so start with the rink's skating programme.
In this guide (9 sections)
  1. Abu Dhabi ice hockey clubs at a glance
  2. Who are Abu Dhabi Shaheen?
  3. Who are Abu Dhabi Storms?
  4. Who are Abu Dhabi Highlanders?
  5. Where do Abu Dhabi teams play?
  6. How to watch ice hockey in Abu Dhabi
  7. Can adults or children join an Abu Dhabi club?
  8. Who runs hockey in Abu Dhabi?
  9. What to check before you act

Abu Dhabi has three of the six teams in the 2026-27 Emirates Hockey League: Abu Dhabi Shaheen, Abu Dhabi Storms and Abu Dhabi Highlanders. Shaheen are the reigning champions, according to Elite Prospects, and Storms lost the final in both of the seasons Shaheen won. All three are adult teams, and none publishes trial details we could verify, so the practical way in is through the rink at Zayed Sports City.

dubaihockey.com is an independent guide. We are not affiliated with any club, rink, league or federation, we do not rank clubs and we take no registrations.

Abu Dhabi ice hockey clubs at a glance

Team 2026-27 so far Recent best Home rink Source
Abu Dhabi Shaheen 3-0, 9 points Champions 2024-25, 2025-26 Zayed Sports City (Wikipedia) Elite Prospects, 3 Nov 2026
Abu Dhabi Storms 3-0, 9 points Champions 2018-19; final 2024-25, 2025-26 Zayed Sports City (Wikipedia) Elite Prospects, 3 Nov 2026
Abu Dhabi Highlanders 1-2, 3 points No history in our sources Not stated Elite Prospects, 3 Nov 2026

Those 2026-27 records have not moved since we first read them on 23 October 2026. Elite Prospects shows every team on three games and lists no game dates, so the table may simply be behind. Treat it as a snapshot, not a live score. Our Emirates Hockey League guide has the full table.

Who are Abu Dhabi Shaheen?

Abu Dhabi Shaheen are an adult league team. You will also see them written as Abu Dhabi Shaheen Falcons: Wikipedia and International Hockey Wiki use the longer name for the 2024-25 champions, while Elite Prospects uses the shorter one. Elite Prospects' team page has no founding date, and its earliest season for the club is 2019-20.

The team's rise on that page is sharp. They finished last of six in 2023-24, then won the regular season and the title the next year.

Season Played Won Lost Finish Play-offs
2026-27 (to date) 3 3 0 Joint top Not yet played
2025-26 15 11 4 2nd Champions
2024-25 16 11 4 1st Champions
2023-24 15 2 12 6th Placement game win
2019-20 16 8 8 2nd Semi-final loss

Source: Elite Prospects, checked 3 November 2026. Wins and losses leave out some overtime results, so the columns do not always add up. There is more on the Abu Dhabi Shaheen directory page.

International Hockey Wiki's account of the 2024-25 play-offs has Shaheen beating Storms in the final in two games, the first by 4-3 on a shoot-out and the second 7-3.

Who are Abu Dhabi Storms?

Storms have the longer record. Elite Prospects has them in the league table back to 2011-12, with titles in 2013-14 and 2018-19. Wikipedia's champions list adds 2010-11, so the count is two or three depending on the source.

Their best regular season on that page is 2018-19, when they won all 16 games and the title. Since then Elite Prospects marks them as losing finalists in six of the following seven seasons, including the last two.

Season Played Won Lost Finish Play-offs
2025-26 15 6 9 4th Final loss
2024-25 16 10 5 3rd Final loss
2023-24 16 12 2 2nd Semi-final loss
2022-23 16 8 7 3rd Final loss
2021-22 12 6 3 2nd Final loss
2018-19 16 16 0 1st Champions

Source: Elite Prospects, checked 3 November 2026. That page's written 2024-25 summary reads differently from its own table; we use the table, which matches International Hockey Wiki.

Outside the league, the IIHF reported in May 2018 that Storms hosted the first Arab Clubs Ice Hockey Championship in Abu Dhabi and beat Lebanon 5-3 in the deciding game at Zayed Sports City. See the Abu Dhabi Storms directory page.

Who are Abu Dhabi Highlanders?

We know least about this team. Elite Prospects lists Abu Dhabi Highlanders in the 2026-27 table on one win and two defeats. They do not appear on Wikipedia's team list, and we found no club site, founding date or home rink. We would rather say that than guess.

Older names can confuse a search. Wikipedia still lists Abu Dhabi Scorpions, an expatriate team that played the league's opening game against Dubai Mighty Camels at Zayed Sports City, as The National reported in October 2009. Scorpions are not in the 2026-27 table on Elite Prospects, and we found no source linking them to Highlanders.

Where do Abu Dhabi teams play?

Zayed Sports City Ice Rink is the name that keeps coming up. Wikipedia gives it as home to Storms and Shaheen, and both the 2009 league opener and the 2018 Arab Clubs final were played there.

Be careful with one detail. Gulf Today wrote in November 2024 that games were held at Dubai Mall, Al Ain and "Abu Dhabi Ice Rinks", without saying which. Zayed Sports City's own ice sports page does not mention ice hockey at all and says only that skaters can join a team. So check the venue for a specific game.

How to watch ice hockey in Abu Dhabi

  • When: Gulf Today reported games on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 20:30 in 2024-25. We have not seen a 2026-27 schedule.
  • Cost: the same report said Emirates Sports Group offered free entry to residents and visitors in 2024-25. The 2026-27 policy is unconfirmed.
  • Fixtures: Elite Prospects showed no game dates on 3 November 2026. Team social accounts are the likeliest place for notice, and we could not verify any.
  • A call first: the rink's page lists 02 403 4333. Ask whether a league game is on before driving over.

Can adults or children join an Abu Dhabi club?

None of the three clubs publishes an intake, trial date or fee that we could verify. Storms did send a youth team to the Gulf Youth Ice Hockey Challenge Cup in Muscat in February 2026, finishing runners-up in the Juniors division according to the Oman Observer, so youth hockey exists. How a family joins is the unanswered part.

The rink's skating programme is the published starting point. It does not mention ice hockey, but skating is the skill a club will want first. Zayed Sports City's page for Term 1 of the 2026/2027 season, running from 31 August, lists these options:

Option Published price Note
Fundamental Starter, 30 min group AED 340 / 550 / 750 Three prices by weeks or frequency
Fundamental Skater, 45 min group AED 360 / 590 / 790 Three prices by weeks or frequency
Adult group, 45 min AED 420 / 690 / 920 Three prices by weeks or frequency
Power skating, 60 min AED 110 a session Listed for under-12s and over-13s
Private coaching, 30 min AED 180 member, AED 200 non-member Plus 60-minute and package rates
"Transition to Team", level 8, 120 min AED 1,300 Period unclear; ask what it covers

Source: ZSC Ice Skating Programme page, checked 3 November 2026. The columns are not fully clear on what each of the three prices covers, so confirm before paying. Term dates may also have moved on since 31 August.

The name "Transition to Team" sounds like hockey, but the page does not say so, and a skating team could equally be meant. A worked example: a child who has never skated could start in a 30-minute group, at AED 340 on the lowest published price, then ask the rink and a club coach when to try hockey. Public sessions at the rink cost AED 85 off-peak and AED 110 at peak times, so extra practice adds up quickly, and a one-month membership at AED 700 may work out cheaper for frequent skaters.

If you can travel to Dubai, Galaxy Hockey Academy publishes both ages and fees. Compare them in our kids' ice hockey guide and see the kit you will need in our equipment guide.

Who runs hockey in Abu Dhabi?

Several bodies appear in the sources. The Abu Dhabi Sports Council has a page for the Abu Dhabi Ice Sports Club, which dates organised UAE ice hockey to December 1998 but gives no contact details. The Oman Observer named an Abu Dhabi Winter Sports Club as co-organiser of the February 2026 Muscat event. The UAE Winter Sports Federation is the national body. We could not confirm how these clubs relate to the league teams, so ask rather than assume.

What to check before you act

  • Ring the rink on 02 403 4333 to confirm a game is on, and whether entry is still free.
  • Ask a club directly about trials; none of them publishes the process that we could find.
  • Confirm what each programme price covers, and for how long, before you pay.
  • Check standings on the day. Our table is a dated snapshot.
  • For rinks across the country, see our UAE ice rinks guide.

Questions people ask

Who are Abu Dhabi Shaheen?

An adult ice hockey team in the Emirates Hockey League. Elite Prospects lists them as champions in 2024-25 and 2025-26, and Wikipedia and International Hockey Wiki call the 2024-25 champions Abu Dhabi Shaheen Falcons.

Where do Abu Dhabi Storms and Shaheen play?

Wikipedia lists Zayed Sports City as the home rink of both. Gulf Today reported in November 2024 that league games were played at Abu Dhabi rinks without naming them, so confirm a specific game with the club or the rink.

How many titles have Abu Dhabi Storms won?

Elite Prospects marks two, 2013-14 and 2018-19. Wikipedia's champions list has three, adding 2010-11, a season Elite Prospects does not show in the table we read.

Can my child play for Abu Dhabi Storms?

Storms had a youth team at the Gulf Youth Ice Hockey Challenge Cup in Muscat in February 2026, but we found no published intake, ages or fees. Ask at the rink, and consider its skating programme as a first step.

Is it free to watch hockey in Abu Dhabi?

Gulf Today reported free entry to the Emirates Ice Hockey League in 2024-25, with games on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 20:30. We have not seen the 2026-27 policy or a published fixture list.

How much does skating cost at Zayed Sports City?

Its page, checked on 3 November 2026, lists AED 85 off-peak, AED 110 peak and AED 210 for a full day. Memberships are AED 700, AED 1,500 and AED 4,500 for one, three and twelve months.

General information only. Fees, venues and schedules change; confirm with the rink, club or league before you pay or travel. Spotted something out of date? Send us a source.

Sources

  1. UAE league standings 2026-2027 (Elite Prospects)checked 3 November 2026
  2. Abu Dhabi Shaheen team page (Elite Prospects)checked 3 November 2026
  3. Abu Dhabi Storms team page and season history (Elite Prospects)checked 3 November 2026
  4. Emirates Ice Hockey League (Wikipedia)checked 3 November 2026
  5. 2024-25 Emirates Ice Hockey League season (International Hockey Wiki)checked 3 November 2026
  6. New season of Emirates Ice Hockey League off to a thrilling start (Gulf Today, 23 Nov 2024)checked 3 November 2026
  7. Hockey in the desert (IIHF, 31 May 2018)checked 3 November 2026
  8. UAE's new league heralds a new era (The National, 7 Oct 2009)checked 3 November 2026
  9. Gulf Youth Ice Hockey Challenge Cup concludes in Muscat (Oman Observer, 10 Feb 2026)checked 3 November 2026
  10. Ice sports (Zayed Sports City)checked 3 November 2026
  11. ZSC Ice Skating Programme, Term 1, 2026/2027 (Zayed Sports City)checked 3 November 2026
  12. Abu Dhabi Ice Sports Club, about the club (Abu Dhabi Sports Council)checked 3 November 2026

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