Outside it is 45°C and the road shimmers. Inside Sport Society in Mirdif it is −4°C, the boards thump, and a U10 forward is being told, in three languages, to keep his stick on the ice. This is what hockey in the Emirates actually looks like in 2026 — and almost all of it happens at Galaxy Hockey Academy.
Galaxy is the largest ice hockey club in the UAE: more than 500 active players, two indoor rinks under one roof, a senior team in the Emirates Hockey League, and a full age pyramid that runs from four-year-olds in helmets two sizes too big to adults playing a proper seven-team Sunday league. There is nothing else quite like it in the country, and not many things like it anywhere in the Gulf.
Why this page exists
Most ice hockey searches in this region still default to "hockey in Dubai". That undersells what is actually here. The UAE now has a real, working hockey ecosystem — junior teams travelling to Moscow and Minsk, an adult league with imports and locals, a national programme, and a coaching staff led by ex-KHL players. Families relocating from Toronto, Helsinki, Moscow, Prague or Bratislava no longer have to choose between the sun and the sport.
This page is for parents and players looking at hockey across the whole country — Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah — and across the wider GCC. If you are searching for an ice hockey academy in the UAE, the practical answer is one address in Mirdif, and a short drive from almost anywhere on the coast.
Reaching Mirdif from across the UAE
Sport Society sits just off Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road (E311), which makes it unusually accessible for a venue of this size:
- Abu Dhabi — around 75 minutes door-to-door outside peak hours. Many Abu Dhabi families train twice a week and stay over on weekends for camps.
- Sharjah — 30–40 minutes, depending on which neighbourhood. Mirdif is the closest serious rink to Al Nahda and Muweilah.
- Ajman — roughly 45 minutes via E311.
- Ras Al Khaimah — 60–75 minutes; we keep block slots on Friday evenings specifically for Northern Emirates families.
- Al Ain — 90 minutes; a number of players combine training with a weekend in Dubai.
Parking at Sport Society is free and covered. There are two rinks side by side: the main arena (60×30 m, IIHF dimensions) used by U12, U14, U16, U17 and the senior teams, and the training rink for U6, U8 and U10. Siblings of different ages train in the same building, often at the same time — a small detail that matters enormously when you are doing this twice a week from another emirate.
Programmes by age group
Galaxy runs a true age pyramid. Every birth year has a team, every team has a place to play, and no child is parked in a "mixed group" because a category is missing.
- Training rink: U6, U8, U10 — learn-to-skate and learn-to-play, small ice, short shifts, lots of repetition.
- Main rink: U12, U14, U16, U17 — full-ice systems, regular Junior Hockey League fixtures, summer camps abroad.
- Adults: open ice sessions plus the Galaxy Hockey League — seven teams, October to April, a proper season with standings and playoffs.
Recent results put the academy in context: U9 gold, U12 gold and U18 bronze in the Junior Hockey League last season. The senior Galaxy Warriors (purple jerseys, sponsored by AMYLCO) compete in the Emirates Hockey League.
Full programme details, schedules and fees live on the dedicated pages: kids and juniors and adult hockey.
Coaching
The head coach is Artiom Senkevich — a former KHL player and former head coach of the UAE national team. He is supported by Maxim Saveliev and Oleg Ignatiev, both career hockey men who have coached internationally. The academy was founded by Iurii Lomakin and Vladislav Lomakin, with Alexei Yashin — the NHL legend — as advisor. The combination is unusual for the region: post-Soviet coaching school, North American advisory voice, Emirati operational base.
For GCC families: Saudi, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait
A growing share of our weekend ice is filled by families flying in from elsewhere in the Gulf. For most GCC cities Dubai is a 60–90 minute flight and there is no comparable facility at home.
We organise three formats for visiting families:
- Weekend training trips — Friday evening, Saturday morning and Saturday afternoon ice, plus video review. Hotel partners in Mirdif and Festival City.
- School-holiday camps — week-long blocks aligned with Saudi, Qatari and Kuwaiti school calendars, mixed on- and off-ice.
- Try-out visits — for players considering a longer-term move to Dubai; one week of training with the right age group, plus a meeting with the coaching staff.
For weekday families with kids on holiday in Dubai, Camp Galaxy runs Tuesday to Friday, 09:00–10:15. Full camp is 500 AED (~135 USD / 125 EUR), drop-in 150 AED (~40 USD / 38 EUR), skates and helmet included.
"We fly in from Riyadh once a month for a long weekend. The boys get four sessions, we get a city break. It works." — parent, U12 group
Frequently asked questions
Is there really year-round ice hockey in the UAE?
Yes. Both rinks at Sport Society run 12 months a year and are held at competition temperature. Summer is actually our busiest training period because the off-ice climate pushes everyone indoors.
My child has never skated. Can they still start?
Most of our U6 and U8 players started from zero. The first month is learn-to-skate; equipment is provided for the trial.
Do you supply equipment?
For the first session yes — skates, helmet and stick. After the trial families typically buy their own kit; we keep a list of recommended local and online suppliers.
How much does it cost?
Junior programmes are billed monthly and vary by age group; full fees are published on the kids page. Camp Galaxy is 500 AED per week or 150 AED drop-in. Adult league and open sessions are priced separately on the adults page.
Can we visit before signing up?
Yes — a free trial session is the normal first step. Message us on WhatsApp and we will put you in the right age group within a few days.
Do you accept players who already play seriously abroad?
Frequently. Relocating families from Canada, Russia, Finland, Czechia and Slovakia are a meaningful share of our roster. Bring video or a coach reference and we will place the player at the right level.
Is there a pathway to competitive hockey?
Yes. Junior teams play in the Junior Hockey League and travel to tournaments in Europe. The senior pathway runs through the Galaxy Warriors in the Emirates Hockey League, with a number of our graduates now in the UAE national team setup.
Book a free trial
The fastest way in is WhatsApp: +971 50 859 9547. Email [email protected] or follow @galaxy_sport_club on Instagram. For everything else — schedules, league tables, camp calendars — the home base is glxyhockey.com.
Sport Society, Mirdif, Dubai. Two rinks, one pyramid, and the only place in the UAE where a four-year-old and a national-team forward can train under the same roof on the same evening.