The opening ceremony of the 2026 Asian Games was held on Saturday in Nagoya, Japan, with the United Arab Emirates fielding a delegation of 165 athletes — 117 men and 48 women — competing across 23 sports disciplines.
The highlight of the UAE's opening ceremony was the joint flag-bearing by twin siblings Al Hayam Saif Al Balooshi and Faris Al Balooshi, both fencers, marking the first time twins have carried the UAE flag together at the Asian Games. Faris had earlier made history in February by winning bronze at the Junior Foil World Cup in Costa Rica, the UAE's first medal at that event.
This marks the UAE's 13th appearance at the Asian Games since its debut in 1978. The delegation is also competing for the first time in padel and modern pentathlon, broadening the range of disciplines the UAE contests at the continental level. The number of female athletes on the team rose to 48, up from 38 at the Hangzhou 2022 Games.
Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, UAE Minister of Sports, expressed optimism about the team's performance during the ceremony, praising the athletes' preparation ahead of the Games.
The 2026 Asian Games, running from September 19 to October 4 in Nagoya, bring together 45 nations and around 17,000 athletes and officials competing across 43 sports and 469 events.