Staff
Dubai, Sept 3, 2026: Sports infrastructure at schools is being bought differently and being built differently. Alongside climate-appropriate surfaces and safety upgrades, schools are increasingly asking a single contractor to manage sports facilities alongside classroom flooring, seating and acoustics, while several schools are treating sport as part of a wider push on student well-being and character development, not just competition.
“School sports infrastructure is evolving fast. Schools now want multi-sport surfaces, safety-first flooring and fencing, and materials engineered for our climate — all delivered within an increasingly tight summer renovation window before the new academic year begins,” says Hammad Rehman, Chief Operating Officer, Soft Surfaces.
The bigger shift, he says, is one of scope. “Schools no longer want to coordinate a different vendor for every space on campus. Alongside sports facilities, they’re now requesting classroom and corridor flooring, auditorium furniture and seating, acoustic sound control, wall protection padding, and classroom furniture — all managed under a single contractor rather than five separate ones.” That demand led the company to launch EduBuilt, a single-roof service “delivered under one team, one schedule and one warranty.” For facilities directors working to a fixed start-of-term deadline, he says, that consolidation is what matters most: “Rather than coordinating multiple contractors and site visits, they gain a single point of accountability for the entire environment a student experiences — classroom, corridor, hall and court alike.”
At Queen Elizabeth’s School, Dubai Sports City, Founding Principal Dan Clark describes investment on a similarly wide scale. “Significant investment is being made into a premium sports ecosystem, including indoor and outdoor sports halls, a semi-Olympic swimming pool and access to football, tennis, padel, athletics and cricket facilities via partnerships with ISD. Partnerships with the Els Golf Club and elite academies further enhance provision,” he says. “The school will also introduce an Elite Sports Programme, an E-Sports lab and an Outdoor Education programme.”
