Lausanne, June 5, 2009 -- The FIVB confirmed today the cancellation of the SWATCH FIVB World Tour double-gender event in Abu Dhabi, UAE that was scheduled to take place from October 18-24.

The UAE Volleyball Association said it was unable to host the tournament after the abrupt withdrawal of its promoter, the Abu Dhabi Sports Council.

The FIVB is confident the UAE National Federation did everything it could to find alternative sponsors, and because notification of the cancellation was made well before the deadline stipulated by the World Tour regulations, no punitive action will be taken against the organizers.

It is the sincere hope of the FIVB that starting from 2010, the UAE will become an important regular stop on the SWATCH FIVB World Tour.

The 2009 edition of the World Tour kicked off in Brazil in April, and is currently on a three-week hiatus in preparation for the SWATCH FIVB World Championships presented by ConocoPhillips in Stavanger, Norway from June 25-July 4.

The tour picks up again in early July with a double-gender event in Gstaad, Switzerland.