Pickleball in Dubai: A Beginner's Guide to Getting Started
New to pickleball in Dubai? What the game is, what gear you need and how to find people to play with.
Pickleball combines elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis on a smaller court, and it's one of the fastest-growing sports in Dubai and the wider UAE. It's easy to learn, very social, and you can be rallying within your first session.
The basics
- Played as singles or (most commonly) doubles.
- Serves are underhand, and the ball must bounce once on each side before volleys are allowed.
- The "kitchen" (non-volley zone) is the area next to the net where you can't volley.
- Games are usually played to 11 points, win by 2.
What you need to start
A paddle
This is the one piece of gear worth getting right. For most beginners we recommend a forgiving 16mm paddle, such as the Vole Pronto X (AED 499.99) or the Wika QD Fire 2. Read our best pickleball paddles in Dubai guide for more options.
Court shoes
Use proper court shoes rather than running shoes, since pickleball involves lots of quick lateral movement.
Grip and care
Dubai's heat makes a fresh overgrip essential. The Court Ready Set gives you two overgrips plus edge tape.
Finding people to play with
The fastest way to improve is to play regularly with others. Join the Paddle Dept. community to hear about open plays and tournaments in Dubai, new stock drops, and get 5% off your first order of AED 1,200+.
Questions?
Message us on WhatsApp. We're players too and happy to help you choose your first paddle.
Choosing a paddle?
Compare lab specs side by side, or tell us how you play and we'll pick for you.
