Growth has defined Banaat FC’s journey, rooted in our mission to lead with Arab representation and reshape the perception of women’s football. Guided by our vision, we strive to become the benchmark for Arab club representation while transforming the women’s game in the UAE. Our move to Alserkal Avenue marked an important step forward, allowing us to grow not only on the field this season but within the community that supports us, a space that meets us where we were and carries us toward where we are meant to be. This past Sunday, we hosted an event to launch our new official club gathering space.
The evening began with a warm welcome from the club’s president, Budreya Faisal, and her team, greeting guests as they arrived at the Banaat FC Hub in Alserkal Avenue. In Dubai, Alserkal Avenue is known for bringing together individuals from the creative industry across the community. It serves as a dynamic space where artists, entrepreneurs, designers, and creative minds can share ideas and showcase their work.
We had the opportunity to present our football club to the avenue, highlighting who we were, our vision, achievements, and community involvement. Especially with our dominant start to the 25/26 season with 3 wins and 1 draw, recording 15 goals for and only 4 against. Our goal was not only to showcase our achievements on the pitch, but also to highlight the importance of encouraging participation in the local community and increasing the representation and visibility of women in sport.
Throughout the duration of the event, guests were treated to beverages sponsored by Nala and delicious baked goods from Brown Sugar, our community partner from meeting at Quoz Arts Fest. Nala was an Alserkal staple; from their lilac branding, it was only fitting that they could be the unofficial coffee sponsor of Banaat FC. For our event, they generously sponsored their iconic lilac tuk tuk, parked at the front of our warehouse, serving their delicious orange juice (arguably the best in Dubai) and specialty coffees.
We were proud to also highlight our community partner Brown Sugar, a Dubai-grown bakery specializing in banana bread. They made their presence known that evening with their ‘brookies’, a delicious hybrid between a brownie and a cookie. On match days, Brown Sugar also fueled our first team’s post-match recovery, providing the team with their high-protein banana bread.
On one side of the warehouse interior, there was a layered collage of match photos with a top layer of Arabic text reading “شجع بنات بلادك,” translating to “Cheer for/support the Banaat (girls) of your country.” This message was especially meaningful to us, as it inspired that season’s merchandise, including the Supporters T Cream and the Supporters T Youth Black. Throughout the evening, a video projected onto another wall showcasing highlights from our past year as a club, a way for us to look back on the journey we had shared together.
As the players arrived, the space came alive. Guests explored our jerseys and new merch, with on-site name and number pressing done by the players themselves. Our merch was displayed on a white football goal. From freestyle sessions to 1v1 matches, many people stopped by to join in on the street football, supporting our goal of engagement within the community at Alserkal.
More than just a retail space, the evening was another opportunity to connect with our fanbase, players’ families, and members of the Alserkal community. Similar to our presence at Quoz Arts Fest, the evening helped us strengthen relationships, gain new supporters, and build our community at Banaat FC even more.
A heartfelt thank you went to the Alserkal Avenue team for providing the club with a space and a platform for the second time that year to share the story of Banaat FC and continue spreading the word about women’s football in the UAE.
