Held in the Middle East for the first time, the 2021 T20 World Cup was a huge organisational success and reinforced the UAE’s position as one of the world’s leading destinations for hosting top international sports competitions, including world championships.

Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed said: "Cricket lovers enjoyed watching the thrilling contests between the world’s elite cricketing nations across state-of-the-art stadiums in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah. The country’s exceptional sporting infrastructure and supportive environment were key factors behind the success of the tournament, from the first match until the final between Australia and New Zealand on 14 November at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

"We congratulate the International Cricket Council, which operates from its headquarters in Dubai, for organising the tournament here and for spreading the sport around the world, turning cricket into the world’s second most-popular sport. We also congratulate all the participating teams and their colourful fans, who made this a wonderful event.'' He added: "Thanks to the vision and unlimited support of our wise leadership, the UAE has become the world’s premier host of top international sports events, including cricket tournaments. The availability of state-of-the-art sports facilities, organisational expertise, and effective regulations and protocols to deal with different challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, make the UAE a leading destination for major events.

"Our success in the fight against COVID-19 has earned us praise around the world and has led to many of the world’s top sports events choosing to come to the UAE in these challenging times, including the Indian Premier League for two consecutive years and the ICC T20 World Cup.'' He further said: "We have many international sports tournaments and events being organised in the country, and we are ready to host any global event and forum in all fields.''