The Open Masters Games Abu Dhabi 2026 ‘Built After 30’ campaign, which was launched across social media, engaged a community of people aged older than 30 years — a demographic quite often overlooked in sports marketing — and intended to inspire them to participate in the event, regardless of fitness level or background.
The campaign was brought to life in partnership with production partners Infocus Media, production manager Abdelrahman Gahamrawi, photography by Ahmed Abbas, videography by Eslam Adel and Masrour Khan, art direction by Bisan Gouda and Yasser Morsi, and starring Om Salem and Abu Khaled Alharthi.
‘Built After 30’ showcased diversity and unity by featuring people from all walks of life — different professions, cultures and generations — competing in their everyday work uniforms and traditional attire, visually proving that sport belongs to everyone.
The campaign also positioned the Games as more than just a competition. The Open Masters Games Abu Dhabi 2026 aimed to build a movement where sports become the common language that unites the entire community under one shared passion: the joy of playing, belonging and showing up at any age.
Sharing his personal thoughts on the project, photographer Ahmed Abbas said, “Behind my lens, the Open Masters Games Abu Dhabi 2026 campaign became something I never expected to witness: a quiet revolution of courage. I photographed hands that had spent decades at desks, and in family homes — now gripping equipment with a trembling pride that no uniform could hide.”
Abbas added, “I captured faces lined with years, suddenly lit with the same wide-eyed joy as children on a first playground. The assignment was straightforward—document how the region’s largest mass-participation sporting event, expecting more than 25,000 participants across 37 sports in 10 days, aims to engage the plus-30 community. But what I found was not a campaign. It was a return. Men and women, some in work attire, some in cultural dress, all carrying the quiet weight of age and routine, showed up to prove a simple truth: it is never too late to feel alive again.”
The campaign, which catered to older audiences across the UAE, was designed to run continuously, keeping the community engaged and invested in their health from the start of 2026 all the way through to the competition on February 16.
At the outset, the campaign intended to highlight how the Open Masters Games in the UAE plays a role in supporting the Year of The Community by serving as an ideal platform to strengthen social cohesion and intergenerational bonds.
The event brings together participants from various age groups in competitive, yet friendly, sporting environments, fostering sportsmanship values and promoting a healthy lifestyle.
The key focus points of the Open Masters Games are:
- Always moving: Empowering people to embrace sports at any age, celebrating resilience, wellness and the joy of movement.
- Celebrating every participant: Bridging cultures, generations and backgrounds, and uniting local residents and international athletes through a shared passion for connection.
- Championing excellence: Showcasing Abu Dhabi’s capability to host worldclass, multi-sport events that create lasting social and economic impact.
- Stronger together: Fostering bonds across generations and cultures, and harnessing the universal power of sport to build stronger, more socially engaged communities.
- A sustainable legacy: To drive the long-term development of sport and community health, leaving an enduring legacy of lifelong wellness.
The events are open to all people aged 30 and older, with swimming events open for people aged 25 and older, regardless of skill level, embracing the philosophy of “lifelong sports” and “sports for all”.
Abbas concluded, “Through my viewfinder, I watched strangers embrace, grown adults weep with pride, and ordinary people transform into versions of themselves they thought had long disappeared. The brief said ‘unite the community through sport’. But my photographs whisper something deeper — that beneath every job title, every passing year, and every doubt, the human spirit is still wild, still willing, and still ready to play.”
The success of the campaign was measured primarily through registration numbers — the number of plus-30 participants sign ups, especially first-timers. The campaign’s demographic reach and engagement on the content was also monitored. Additionally, community sentiment was tracked to note whether the campaign made people aged 30 and older feel seen, invited and capable.
Through the course of the campaign, personal stories — the emotional moments, testimonials and finish-line transformations — were also captured through the campaign.
CREDITS:
Project Name: Built after 30
Client: Open Master Games – Abu Dhabi 2026
Production : Infocus media
Production Manager: Abdelrahman Gahamrawi
Photography: Ahmed Abbas
Videography : Eslam Adel & Masrour khan
Art Direction: Bisan Gouda & Yasser Morsi
Starring: Om Salem & Abu Khaled Alharthi
