For Kash Shaikh, November cannot come quickly enough.

The Chairman and CEO of Baseball United, the first professional league dedicated to baseball in the Middle East and Asia, last week signed partnership with the Emirates Cricket Board ahead of the organization鈥檚 competitive launch in five months鈥� time.

Things are steadily falling into place for the Dubai-based league.

Baseball United鈥檚 first showcase will involve four franchises facing off in four games, before an eight-team league follows a year later.

鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting for us,鈥� Shaikh told Arab News while in Dubai. 鈥淚t鈥檚 historic for Baseball United, it鈥檚 historic for professional baseball. It鈥檚 historic for sport within the region, because for the first time ever, we were able to receive sanctions that no other international organization has ever received. In our partnership with Emirates Cricket Board, we received a 15-year term to host, lead and develop baseball at the professional level, all the way down to the youth level in the UAE.

鈥淲e鈥檙e really excited for Abu Dhabi and Dubai to be the foundation for professional baseball within the Middle East.鈥�

Initially, Baseball United鈥檚 team rosters will be packed with established international players, but the agreement opens the door to developing regional talent in the coming years.

鈥淚鈥檓 really grateful to the ECB, including the chairman, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al-Nahyan, (and) Vice Chairman Khalid Al-Zarooni, for their vision, and their belief and their support. Because a big part of that has been how we can grow with the game at the youth level here in (the) UAE. How we can help young kids get inspired about the game, how we can help young kids get more active by creating and introducing a new sport in the region that鈥檚 aspirational to them.鈥�

There are plans to establish development and talent programs in India and Pakistan, as well as across Gulf Cooperation Council nations, where Shaikh has, over recent weeks, been meeting high-ranking sports and government officials in order to get support for Baseball United.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been amazing the amount of excitement and momentum that we鈥檝e been able to build over the last just few weeks within the GCC,鈥� he said. 鈥淓verything really started to accelerate with Baseball United, when we announced our first franchise, the Mumbai Cobras, a little over a month ago. And then we announced the second franchise, the Karachi Monarchs, and with each announcement things got bigger and bigger. After Karachi, we made a strategic decision to really engage the right leadership and the right organizations across the GCC.

鈥淲e went to 萝莉视频 and spent four days in Riyadh, where we met with the 萝莉视频 Baseball and Softball Federation. Amazing team, they鈥檙e led by Abdulrahman (Alshehri), who鈥檚 the CEO. The Saudi federation is the only baseball federation in the region, in (the) GCC. But they鈥檙e the youngest in the world, they were formed in 2019. So they have a lot of the foundational elements of strategy, goals focus 鈥� where we are going to partner with them and help them is on the technical side, on the training side, and on the growth side, even with everything from marketing to content partnerships.鈥�

In Doha, Shaikh met with the committee that organized the 2022 FIFA World Cup, as well as with the Ministry of Youth and Sport, Bein Sports and the Qatar Little League. Six of the stadiums used at the World Cup could be retro-fitted and used for baseball.

鈥淥bviously we had a lot of traction here in Dubai and Abu Dhabi,鈥� he added. 鈥淲e met with investment funds, with brand sponsors, with the right government officials, and had a lot of support from the ECB throughout all that.鈥�

Among Baseball United鈥檚 growing list of investors and endorsers are former stars like Felix Hernandez, Adrian Beltre, Mariano Rivera, Barry Larkin and Albert Pujols, as well as Elvis Andrus, an active player with the Chicago White Sox.

The project鈥檚 progress continues to generate buzz across the baseball world.

鈥淚t鈥檚 crazy,鈥� Shaikh said, 鈥渁nd it鈥檚 surreal, how many people not only know about what we鈥檙e building, but are excited about it. (Last weekend) Major League Baseball was playing international games in London, part of their London series, which they do once a year, and so many players have called me from London 鈥� current investors as well as people that want to come in, saying 鈥榞uys, Baseball United is the talk of the town鈥�.鈥�

With that comes immediate responsibility, says Shaikh.

鈥淭he expectations are high, the bar is high,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e have a lot of pressure to deliver. But we welcome that opportunity because the eyes of the baseball world will be on us in November.鈥�

Shaikh is clear that, as a start-up, Baseball United is not looking to compete with Major League Baseball, but will aim to give regional audiences a unique experience, and will look to keep growing in the coming years.

Joining the Mumbai Cobras and Karachi Monarchs in November鈥檚 showcase will be two as yet unnamed franchises from the GCC.

鈥淚 can tell you that the first two Middle Eastern professional baseball franchises in history are going to come from the UAE,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 excited that Abu Dhabi and Dubai are gonna have that honor, because this country has been such a foundational birthplace for so many sports in the region. The leadership of the UAE has been passionate about growing sports. The visionaries that drive this country have always known that when you have a society that鈥檚 vibrant and connected with sports, it helps grow the country.鈥�

The two new teams could be announced as early as July.

鈥淲hen we launch these two UAE teams, and people see the jerseys and see the hats and it becomes real, and people have teams they can then root for, I鈥檓 telling you, it鈥檚 going to take things to another level and I can鈥檛 wait (for) when that happens.鈥�