Jumeirah Gaels Dubai was established in March 2015, when a group of friends came together to enter a social team in the World GAA Games in Abu Dhabi.

The original team was made up of employees from the Kentz Dubai office, former Qatar GAA players and friends who were keen to start something new within Middle East GAA. The Gaels made an immediate impression, reaching the final in their first tournament before losing out to Sharjah Gaels.

Following that weekend, the decision was made to officially enter Jumeirah Gaels into the 2015/16 Middle East League as a Junior club. What started as a small group on a patch of grass in JLT quickly grew, with more than 80 men and women attending training at Sports City during the club’s first season.

Success followed on the pitch. Tournament victories in Bahrain and Dubai helped the club secure the Junior A League in its first season and earn promotion to Intermediate level for 2016/17. 

During the 2016/17 season, the club went unbeaten, winning the Intermediate League and earning promotion to Senior level, where it has competed ever since.

The club continued to grow in the years that followed, reaching more than 150 members. Hurling and camogie were introduced in October 2018, with teams progressing from Junior through Intermediate and eventually to Senior level.

In recent years, the club has enjoyed some of its greatest success. The Men’s Senior Football team has won three of the last four Middle East Senior League titles, including the 2025/26 season. The Senior Ladies Football team has consistently been among the leading teams in the region, competing closely with a strong Abu Dhabi side over a number of seasons. The Senior Hurlers also won the Middle East League title in the 2024/25 season, and continue to shine on the regional stage.

Today, Jumeirah Gaels has more than 200 members and fields 12 teams across men’s and ladies’ football, hurling and camogie. It is a long way from the small group that first came together on a small patch of grass at the back of JLT in 2015.

While the club has changed considerably over the past decade, the aim has remained the same: to provide a welcoming club for people living in Dubai to play Gaelic games, compete at all levels and enjoy the social side of being part of a GAA community.

More than a decade on, Jumeirah Gaels continues to grow, with the friendships and community built around the club every bit as important as the success on the pitch.