DINK Launches in Dubai: The Gulf’s First Premium Pickleball Lifestyle Brand

Anyone who has spent time on Dubai’s pickleball courts will know the dilemma: kit that performs well rarely looks good afterwards, and kit that looks good rarely lasts a game. DINK, a new homegrown label launching online on 1 November, wants to fix that. It describes itself as the Gulf’s first premium pickleball lifestyle brand.

The brand was founded by Rashed Yakhlef and Faiq Al Ismaili, two airline captains who met as the youngest recruits in their cadet training. They build DINK between flights and play at Picklers in Dubai most weeks. They’re mentored by Panchali Mahendra, CEO of Atelier Hospitality and a keen player herself. “Pickleball in the Gulf grew faster than the gear did,” says Yakhlef. “DINK is what we wanted to wear at the kitchen line and still be wearing at dinner.”

The first collection covers performance and lifestyle apparel, paddles and accessories. The pieces are designed to go from the court to the office, the school run or the airport. Pickleball is the starting point, but everything works just as well for padel, tennis or days with no court at all. The women’s line includes the Courtline Legging and DINK Sports Bra, both designed in the UAE and tested by athletes and non-athletes alike. The full men’s line and the tote bags are made locally, and the brand’s goal is full UAE production.

DINK already has some serious credentials. It was the official clothing sponsor of Team South Africa at the 2026 Pickleball World Cup in Vietnam. It has signed Abdul Hafiz Karime, the UAE’s number-one-ranked player, and it outfits the Picklers coaching team. Community open-play evenings run until early 2027.

Prices range from AED 40 to AED 749 for the Dink Daddy Pro 1 paddle, which has a Toray carbon fibre face. DINK is available now at Picklers, Dubai, and at dink.ae from 1 November, with worldwide shipping.