Day two of LEVEL UP, the inaugural Sports Tech Expo of Dubai, initiated by Global MICE Organisation Limited (GMOLx) in partnership with Dubai Sports Council (DSC), has offered a series of significant product launches and technology presentations, as innovators introduce new digital platforms, performance solutions, and AI-powered tools designed to modify the global sports industry.
However, the headliner was the day of Urbanballer App, developed by EX Interactive Gaming in collaboration with Urbanball co-founder and world champion freestyler Sean Garnier.
The live presentation provided audiences a first glance at the app’s player-ranking features, verified match uploads, and the platform’s AI Referee Engine, which offers automated scoring, rule enforcement, and match validation at scale.
Therefore, the Urbanballer App is expected to be released in Q2 2026, ahead of Urbanball’s upcoming global season.
The launch of Urbanball at LEVEL UP strengthened the position of UAE-grown, globally scalable sports IP, and Garnier emphasized the roots of the platform in Dubai’s rapidly transforming sports-tech environment.
According to its founders, Urbanball has surpassed more than 1.8 billion views and $1.1 million in revenue in its first year.
Garnier informed LEVEL UP audiences: “From the beginning, I realised you don’t need a pitch, coach or infrastructure to express yourself with a ball. A single trick can capture attention anywhere. There are so many young players around the world with talent but no visibility. The easiest form of football is 1v1 – I started it in one country, then two, and suddenly it was everywhere.”
He stated that “I wanted to build a sport that anyone can play anytime, anywhere – no barriers. But in Europe, people were closed to the idea because it wasn’t ‘pure football’. When I came to Dubai, I saw a place that welcomes new ideas and new communities. That’s why I chose it as the home of the project.”
The UAE’s first homegrown longevity supplement brand, combining oral peptides with patented plant science, has witnessed the second-day launch of Forus.
This is co-founded by wellness expert and Humantra founder Dave Catudal. Forus is developed by a two-step recovery and long-term protocol aiming at the foundations of performance: gut health, chronic inflammation, and sleep quality.
The launch results in a demand for gut-health solution developments, and the UAE peptide market is projected to expand by an average of 12.3 percent every year from now until 2030.
Dave Catudal, co-founder of Forus, added that “Forus was created because the foundations of recovery and longevity remain the same no matter how advanced the science becomes – quality sleep, reduced inflammation, nervous system balance, and a healthy gut.
He further reported that “People are beginning to take more ownership of their health, connecting the dots between gut health, inflammation, and recovery, and how it impacts their wellbeing and long-term vitality. Peptides are emerging as the new frontier of longevity, and at Forus, we’re pioneering this movement with an uncompromising focus on efficacy, safety, and real-world results.”
The other Day 2 indications was, the keynote session by Sebastian Lancestremere, Microsoft Worldwide Strategic Partnerships Director and President of GSIC, outlined Microsoft’s end-to-end AI strategy for the future of sport.
In conversation with a packed Main Stage session, Lancestremere informed about how cloud + AI solutions are utilized by rights holders, federations, and clubs to extend athlete performance, proceed operations throughout organizations, and offer personalized, live fan meet experiences end to end.
Lancestremere said, “We are living in a fully digital world. Today, 45% of the global population are digital natives, and that fundamentally changes the way we must think about sports. The experiences, the formats, the content, and the narratives we deliver need to be completely different to meet the expectations of younger generations who are far more mobile, social, and digital than ever before.”
He added, “AI has existed for more than a decade, but it was confined to engineers and data scientists. What’s different today is that generative AI makes these capabilities accessible to everyone. Anyone can now build applications, write code, design experiences, and dramatically increase productivity. That shift is transformational for the entire sports industry.”
The day highlighted a significant session emphasizing the increasing landscape of elite performance, broadcast transformation, organizational culture, and digital rights, such as Building Sports Communities Through Creativity & Tech and Analytics & Athlete Monitoring: Data-Driven Performance and Injury Prevention.
Mob filled LEVEL UP’s open-air courts and arenas on Day 2, where the visitors experienced a series of high-energy, hands-on activations.
The Urbanball Dubai Level Up Edition launched a whole programme of 1v1 Urbanball tournaments throughout age groups, starting from U9 right through to adults, with live, fast-paced knockout rounds that left audiences involved across the evening of the event; therefore, the WPA Padel Court experience delivered live coaching, challenges and tech-enabled insights into the region’s fastest-growing sport.
During the JAM Sports Academy Basketball Innovation Zone, where young players trialled motion-tracking drills and data-driven development tools, and gaming fans gathered inside the GameCentric GameQuest Express, the Expo’s mobile esports arena offering competitive play and next-gen gaming experiences.
Simultaneously, these activations indicated the mixed performance, youth development, gaming, and data-led coaching that defines LEVEL UP.
The last day of LEVEL UP on Saturday will host discussions on athlete recovery science, women-led community building, sports tourism, Web3 fan journey innovation, and the next wave of athlete-driven training methodologies.
Saturday will highlight combat sports, with ChampBelts x KO2 transforming LEVEL UP into a live competitive arena, along with complete structured bouts, fighter walk-ins, real-time scoring, and a professional awards system offering a disciplined, high-intensity indication of competitive boxing and combat sports.
