Wayne Rooney Returns to Dubai to Coach Kids at Jumeirah Beach Hotel This Week
Wayne Rooney is back in Dubai this week, swapping the studio for the training pitch. The football icon has returned to Jumeirah Beach Hotel with Football Escapes, where he will lead daily coaching sessions for children from Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026.
A week on the pitch
According to Gulf Today, Rooney's visit forms part of Football Escapes' hosted family programme at the resort. Throughout the week he will lead daily football sessions for children alongside UEFA-licensed coaches, with the programme also featuring a games night, medal celebrations and the much-anticipated Parents' Game, all set against the backdrop of the Arabian Gulf.
Football Escapes lists Rooney as the ambassador for the Jumeirah Beach Hotel course, running 26 to 30 October 2026. The resort setting is part of the appeal: a private beach on the Arabian Gulf, five swimming pools and the sail-shaped tower on the skyline that has become a symbol of Dubai itself.
The Q&A night
The highlight for many fans will come midweek. Gulf Today reports that Rooney will host an exclusive live question-and-answer session at Dhow & Anchor on Wednesday 28 October, beginning at 6:30pm. The evening is described as an intimate, informal chance to hear first-hand stories from one of the game's most recognised figures, alongside a three-course sharing-style dinner.
Rooney has made the trip before, and he has spoken warmly about returning. In comments carried by Wherever Family, he said: "I've loved both of my trips to Jumeirah Beach Hotel with Football Escapes, so I couldn't wait to come back." He added that the children throw themselves into the sessions from the start, and that their confidence grows every day.
Why Dubai keeps calling
Dubai has become a regular stop for big-name football figures during the October half-term, when families travel in numbers and resorts build their calendars around headline guests. For the children on the course, the draw is simple: a week of coaching from a player whose career made him one of the most recognised faces in the sport, in a setting built for families.
For Rooney, the week is a different kind of spotlight — not a matchday, but a pitch full of young players, a Q&A under the lights, and a return to a city where he is clearly a welcome guest.
Sources: Gulf Today, 26 October 2026; Football Escapes course listing, October 2026; Wherever Family, October 2026.