The Abu Dhabi Grand Shooting Championship 2025 concluded with the crowning of the winners

The Abu Dhabi Grand Shooting Championship has concluded, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Zayed Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation (Zayed CHF) and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council. The competitions ran from 28 December, 2024 to 19 January, 2025, and were organised by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council in cooperation with the Weapons and Hazardous Substance Office.

The winners were crowned in a ceremony held at Khalifa City Council by His Excellency Mohamed Suhail Al Neyadi, Director-General of the Weapons and Hazardous Substances Office, and His Excellency Aref Hamad Al Awani, General Secretary of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council.

The Abu Dhabi Grand Shooting Championship brought together a group of elite shooters in strong competitions held in three locations: Al Forsan International Sports Resort, Al Dhafra Shooting Club in Zayed City, and Al Ain Equestrian and Shooting Club, with the aim of supporting shooting sports and encouraging all citizens to practice them regularly.

His Excellency Mohamed Suhail Al Neyadi, Director-General of the Weapons and Hazardous Substances Office, expressed his gratitude and appreciation to the wise leadership for their continuous support for sports and athletes, as well as their keenness to enhance the status of sports in society as one of the main pillars of cultural and social development. He further expressed his thanks to His Highness Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan for his patronage of the Championship and his consistant efforts to develop and support it.

Al Neyadi said: "Over the course of its four weeks, the Championship provided an opportunity for fans of this type of sport to take on challenges in an atmosphere full of competitiveness and professionalism. It contributed to developing the capabilities of the competitors in accordance with the controls and standards of the UAE Championship for Licensed Weapons Shooting."

His Excellency Aref Hamad Al Awani stated that the Championship represented a platform for discovering talented marksmen and honing their skills, while also increasing sports awareness and building cooperative relationships between practitioners. He also expressed his deep thanks to His Highness Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan for his generous patronage of this event that achieved its goal, and congratulated the winners and the working committees on its remarkably successful organisation.

At the beginning of the coronation ceremony, members of the Organising, Administrative and Arbitration committees and representatives of the host entities of the Championship were honored, alongside the distinguished shooter Sheikha Rabie Al Ketbi, one of the senior citizens who participated and achieved commendable results in the Championship.

The champion Hamad Salem bin Masi Al Kaabi was also crowned, having secured a global achievement by recording the highest score at a distance of 200m (100% - 8X) in the Heavy Rifle category 308 using only the barb. Ibrahim Yahya Al Darei came in second place, and Mohammed Saleh Al Menhali finished third.

In the 9mm Pistol category, Salem Abu Bakr won first place, Mohammed Al Buraiki came in second, and Mohammed Al Yahyaei was third.

In the 223 Rifle category, Noaman Saif Al Darai came in first, Ibrahim Yahya Al Darai was second, and Majed Mubarak Al Buraiki third.

In the Saktoun category (Men), Mani Saeed Al Kaabi won first place, Abdullah Saif Al Darai came in second, and Hamad Ali Al Ketbi was third. In the Women’s competition, Al Ghalia Askar Al Karbi won first place, Maryam Al Yamahi came in second, and Sheikha Ali Al Marzouqi finished third.

In the Saktoun category (Juniors), Hamed Omar Al Menhali won first place, Obaid Suhail Al Muhrami came in second, and Saif Ali Al Kaabi was third.

The winners expressed their satisfaction with their accomplishments, stressing that the Championship represented an opportunity to develop their skills and abilities through competition with the best shooters. They agreed that ascending the podium was the result of long and intensive efforts and training, pointing out that the Abu Dhabi Grand Shooting Championship was a genuine field for creativity and refining talents.