Events Lead - Middle East

WORK OPTION: The NBA currently provides eligible employees the option of working remotely one day per week.

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Group & Position Summary

The NBA’s international offices support the league’s strategy to grow the game of basketball globally through the delivery of world-class events, commercial partnerships, media initiatives, and community engagement. Based in Abu Dhabi, this role is responsible for leading the design, planning, and execution of NBA events and operations primarily in the Middle East, in close partnership with global and regional NBA teams. The successful candidate will operate within a highly matrixed organization, collaborating extensively with colleagues in Europe, New York, and other NBA offices to ensure alignment with global strategies, standards, and processes. Decision-making and execution will require ongoing coordination, consultation, and shared accountability with cross-functional and cross-regional stakeholders.

The person in this role will manage budgets and event program plans, oversee a variety of vendor and venue partners to ensure all stakeholders deliver a high-quality experience for our key constituents (e.g. partners, promoters, guests, teams).

The person in this role will be confident, decisive, and able to display a management style that emphasises strong partnership, communication, and commitment across all levels, especially within the global events team, partnerships, production, marketing, and communications, and working cross-functionally. They will be able to navigate ambiguity to drive swiftly toward clarity and solutions, capable of skillfully leveraging insights in new ways.

Major Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary events contact in the Middle East, supporting planning and leading stakeholder management with partners, agencies, and promoters in the region, while ensuring all activities are aligned with the broader NBA global events strategy and in collaboration with global and regional teams.
• Collaborate closely with global and regional NBA teams, ensuring that all event strategies, plans, and executions are developed and delivered in partnership with relevant stakeholders across the matrixed organization.
• Identify growth opportunities in existing events in the Middle East to enhance fan engagement and drive business opportunities through partnerships, content, and fan engagement programs.
• Collaborate with business leads to develop monetization strategies and explore innovative event models for partners, promoters, and government entities in the region.
• Provide guidance on event types and platforms in the Middle East based on market insights, league priorities, fan interest, and business potential.
• Establish and maintain strong relationships with local institutions, government entities, venues, and key stakeholders to ensure smooth delivery and regulatory compliance.
• Manage all required permissions, licenses, permits, and local procedures from event concept through execution.
• Develop and implement operational plans, including staffing models, logistics, production timelines, and budgets.
• Support Global Partnerships (GP) and Global Media (GMD) teams on partner deliverables, including activations, hospitality, and social functions.
• Lead vendor and contractor management, ensuring high-quality service delivery, adherence to timelines, and compliance with NBA standards.
• Provide on-site leadership for all Middle East events and activations, driving stakeholder satisfaction and continuous improvement.
  
  

Required Skills / Knowledge

• Exceptional project and process management skills, with the ability to operate independently in a complex, fast-paced environment.
• Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills, both internally and externally.
• Commercial acumen with experience supporting marketing, ticketing, and partner activation objectives.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple priorities and deadlines simultaneously.
• Flexible and adaptable, with a proactive and solutions-oriented mindset.
• Strong computer proficiency, including PowerPoint, Excel, Word, Asana and other project management tools.
• Ability and willingness to travel internationally as required.
• Business-level fluency in English; Arabic language skills are a plus.
  
  

Experience Needed

• Minimum of 8-10 years’ relevant event management experience, preferably within the U.A.E.
• Prior experience working within sports, live events, or agency environments, ideally on global or regional sports brands.
• Demonstrated track record of managing large-scale events and complex, multi-stakeholder projects.
• Demonstrated ability to thrive in a matrixed organization, balancing local ownership with global alignment, and effectively influencing and collaborating across multiple reporting lines and stakeholder groups.
• International experience, particularly living and/or working in the U.A.E. or Middle East, strongly preferred.
  
  

Educational Background Required

• Bachelor’s degree required.
  
  

Salary Range

N/A

Job Posting Title

Director

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The NBA considers applicants for all positions on the basis of merit, qualifications, and business needs, and without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, alienage or citizenship status, ancestry, marital status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, veteran status, familial status, status as a victim of domestic violence, or any other status or characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

The NBA is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace. To safeguard our employees and their families, our visitors, and the broader community from COVID-19, and in consideration of recommendations from health authorities and the NBA’s own advisors, any individual working onsite in our New York and New Jersey offices must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The NBA will discuss accommodations for individuals who cannot be vaccinated due to a medical reason or sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observance.

About The NBA

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a global sports and media organization with the mission to inspire and connect people everywhere through the power of basketball.  Built around five professional sports leagues:  the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, NBA 2K League and Basketball Africa League, the NBA has established a major international presence with games and programming available in 215 countries and territories in more than 50 languages, and merchandise for sale in more than 200 countries and territories on all seven continents.  NBA rosters at the start of the 2021-22 season featured a record 121 international players from 40 countries.  NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV, NBA.com, the NBA App and NBA League Pass.  The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with 2.1 billion likes and followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms.  Through NBA Cares, the league addresses important social issues by working with internationally recognized youth-serving organizations that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes.