The Special Olympics International Board of Directors unanimously voted to award the event to the capital of the United Arab Emirates at a meeting in Washington D.C. 

"Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi is revolutionary for our Movement and for the Middle East region," said Special Olympics chairman Timothy Shriver.

"There's no better or more profound location than Abu Dhabi to invite the world to come together in celebration of sport, in celebration of people of all kinds, and to demonstrate to the world that the lines of division can be erased.

"We are thrilled to be the first fully global multi-sport Games of this size to be staged in the Middle East region of the world."

The World Games happen every two years, with the next one due to take place around Austria at the Winter Games in March 2018 before the baton for the Summer Games will be handed over to the UAE.

The first International Special Olympics Summer Games were held in Chicago in the US in 1968 where a mere 1,000 athletes from 26 US states and Canada competed in just track and swimming events. 

According to their website, there are 4.7 million Special Olympics athletes aged from eight years old from more than 169 countries.

The name given to the Games was changed from International Special Olympics Summer and Winter Games to Special Olympics World Summer and Winter Games fifteen years ago.

The most recent edition of the Special Olympics World Games were held in Los Angeles last year where the American city played host to around 6,500 athletes from 177 countries.

Athletes that compete are adults and children with intellectual disabilities who are matched up in competitions according to their ability and age.

An official date for the event in Abu Dhabi is yet to be confirmed.

During the session three new members were appointed to the Board.

Wing-Kun Tam, former President of Lions Clubs International, was elected along with Olympic gold medallist Bart Conner for a second time.

Conner was a member of the men's gymnastics team at Los Angeles 1984, where he won two Olympic gold medals.

Raymond Lane, partner with venture capital firm, Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers, also returned to the Board for a second time. 

Lane will also serve on the Executive Committee, along with Bank of America's Anne Finucane, who joined the Executive Committee in September. 

The Special Olympics International Board of Directors is the ultimate governing authority for the Special Olympics movement and is composed of Special Olympics athletes and leaders in the areas of business, Government, disability, sports and entertainment.

The Board is responsible for the global affairs and strategies of Special Olympics; it determines its policies and programmes and oversees all top-level management.

Board Members are elected to a three-year term and may be re-elected twice - for a maximum of nine consecutive years of service.