Iran’s national judo team has withdrawn from the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam after the UAE failed to issue visas to its members. The development came just days after Iran’s men’s and women’s padel teams missed the World Cup qualifiers because they did not receive visas from Kuwait.

According to ISNA, citing the Iranian Judo Federation, the athletes had registered for the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam and were due to compete on October 29 and 30. However, despite the necessary arrangements being made, visas were not issued to the Iranian delegation and the team’s trip was cancelled.

The Abu Dhabi Grand Slam will be held from October 29 to 31, according to the International Judo Federation’s official calendar. The tournament is a major world-ranking event, and the Iranian athletes’ absence will deny them the opportunity to earn points and improve their positions in the global rankings.

This is the second time in recent days that Iranian athletes have been unable to travel to an Arab country in the region because visas were not issued. The Iranian Tennis Federation previously said Kuwait had not granted visas to members of the men’s and women’s national padel teams, preventing both sides from competing in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, which begin in Kuwait on Monday, October 26.

The UAE has not yet given a reason for not issuing visas to the Iranian judokas.