MBRCSA press release in the occasion of International Women's Day

Mattar Al Tayer: The Award is a pioneer in promoting the role of women in sports

in the country, the Arab world and the world

The Board of Trustees of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports

Award, one of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, has saluted the

country’s visionary leadership that leads the nation with infinite wisdom and compassion to

increase the happiness of the community members and enable them to perform their role in the

development process, and empowers women to actively participate in making the nation's future

and seek achievements in all fields.

The Board of Trustees of the Award also congratulated women in the UAE, the Arab world and

the world on the occasion of International Women's Day, which falls on March 8 of every year,

and stressed that the Award will continue its pioneering role in empowering women in the sports

sector and strengthening the role they play in all segments of the sports sector by honoring

creativity and organizing sports forums, seminars and conferences for women in sports, and

highlighting and honoring the great role they play, whether through competing for medals and

trophies, or through the creation of champions.

His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Mohammed Bin

Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award, expressed his pride in working to achieve the vision

of the wise leadership in developing the sports sector and raising the level of sports achievements

in the UAE, the Arab world and the world through the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum

Creative Sports Award, which is at the forefront of international sports awards in terms of its

influence and the pioneering role it plays, not only in the field of honoring creative athletes but

also in spreading the culture of sports creativity and supporting creative projects that have a

continuous impact on sports and societies in general, and on women in particular. He also said

that the Award was honored to be one of the ‘Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global

Initiatives’ for its role in empowering societies.

The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Award said: "The UAE occupies a prominent

position globally in the field of women's empowerment. Our wise leadership has given women

the opportunity to play their role fully in serving and developing the nation in all fields. Emirati

women have assumed leadership positions at the level of ministries and national institutions, as

well as in every other sector. Women have have represented the nation on international forums in

all fields, including sports.

"The Award is based on the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum,

Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and we act under the

guidance of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown

Prince of Dubai, the Patron of the Award, and His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin

Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the UAE National Olympic Committee and President of the

Award, and we are pioneers in the field of women's empowerment, not just in honoring

achievers, but also through the membership of the Board of Trustees of the Award where Emirati

and Arab women have been present in the Board of Trustees from the time Award was

established until now.

"Indeed, the presence of women has become stronger through the membership of the Board of

Trustees as well as the assumption of the General Secretariat of the Award, which is an important

and vital role, that represents the link between the Board of Trustees and the different teams

working for the Awards, and also in communicating with the sports sector. In addition to this,

women are also present in all the committees working within the Award."

His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer added: "The Award has not only honored creative Emirati and

Arab women, and supported efforts to empower Emirati and Arab women in sports, but we

dedicated the 9th Edition of the Award to honoring institutions with successful initiatives in the

field of empowering women at the local, Arab and international levels, and ‘Empowerment of

Women in Sports’ was the slogan of that edition as well as the 13th Dubai International Sports

Creativity Symposium. We will continue playing a leading role in empowering women in the

sports sector and enabling sports through the creative abilities of women, wherever they are."

Moaza Al Marri: Empowering societies through women and their sporting role

Her Excellency Moaza Al Marri, Secretary General of the Award, said the Award’s membership

within the ‘Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives’ underscores the great role

that sport plays in empowering societies, as it is one of the most important sources of soft power

that has positive effects on societies.

She said, "It is not possible to empower societies without empowering women, who make up

half of society. That is why the directives of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin

Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Patron of the Award, and His Highness Sheikh

Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE National Olympic

Committee and President of the Award, is what the Board of Trustees of the Award, headed by

His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, is working to implement in all areas of the sports sector,

foremost of which is the empowerment of women in sports, whether through strengthening their

presence in leadership positions responsible for decision-making or in the fields of competition

as an athlete or trainer."

The Secretary General of the Award added, "Since the 1st Edition of the Award, the Moroccan

Olympic champion Nawal El Moutawakel has been a member of the Award’s Board of Trustees;

she is also the Vice President of the International Olympic Committee. Then Dr. Mona Al Bahar

from the UAE became a member of the Board of Trustees in the next session, while Mona Bou

Samra, who is the editor-in-chief of Al Bayan newspaper, is a member of the Board of Trustees

for the current Edition. In addition to them, I have the honour of serving as Secretary General of

the Award and as well as a member of the Board of Trustees.

"A number of Emirati and Arab women have also been present in the working committees since

the establishment of the Award. Ten Emirati women have served as members of the

Communication and Marketing Committee, four Emirati and Arab women have served as

members of the jury and five as members of the technical committee. In addition to them, the

Minister of Sports of the Republic of Tunisia and also Zimbabwe, the Vice President of the

International Olympic Committee, and many other leading female sports figures and athletes

have participated in the Creative Sports Forum and Innovation Seminars that the Award have

organized through the years."

Her Excellency, Moaza Al Marri concluded, "The Award has attracted the participation of 271

female athletes from various disciplines, who have been nominated for the Awards in the past ten

years; 36 of them have had the honor of winning in one of the Award Categories. We are

working with various entities to enhance the participation of women in the Award, in the belief

that the role of the Award is not limited to honor those with some achievements, but to motivate

all athletes to develop their level of performance, raise the quality of their achievements, and

motivate them to compete to win the most important championships as well as the Award by

spreading the culture of creativity and honoring them in a way that is commensurate with the

value of their achievements."

Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud: The Award is a dream for all athletes

Her Royal Highness Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Ambassador

of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United States, who won the Arab Sports Personality of

the Award in the 9th Edition, said: "Me being picked as a winner of the Mohammed Bin Rashid

Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award is an honor for me and all the women of the country, and I

extend my thanks to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President

and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, for adopting a pioneering and distinguished

approach to sports, and for supporting athletes not just at the local level but throughout our great

Arab homeland, an approach that is reflected in this global award, which has become a dream

and goal for all Arab athletes. Winning it is a matter of great pride and honor, and it is an

initiative that stimulates creativity and brilliance for our youth.

"Creativity is everywhere in the Arab world, but it needs someone to support it, and this is what

the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award has been doing since its launch.

It has contributed to motivating athletes to unleash their creativity and develop themselves, and

strive to win titles in international competitions and also seek the honor of winning this Award.

"I hope that all federations will include elite women, so that they become role models for women

who come after them. We do not only look at the women who practice sports, or the

administrators working in the sports field, but we are looking forward to have women who

inspire girls, who teach them sports, and pass on the experiences to them, because without this,

we cannot advance or follow the path of developed countries in this regard."

Princess Reema bint Bandar concluded: "The sports sector is a great field, and all segments of

society can participate in it. It requires more specialized education and the strengthening of

society’s culture towards it because the sports sector is more than just an athlete participating in a

specific popular sport; innovation is an integral part of sports, and you can see new tools and

technologies appearing every day. All sectors must participate in it to support it, and the doors

must be opened for all members of society to contribute towards innovation for the development

of the sports sector. I hope all universities think about this issue seriously to graduate young

people who are able to innovate in various fields. Sports creativity is not restricted to only those

who practice sports, and the best example of this is the inventions that were created to support

the efforts of athletes.

"So we must expand the scope of our interaction with the shareholders in the sports sector and

open the way for all segments of society to participate, innovate and create in it to expand its

base. The field is open to everyone and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports

Award is here to support these efforts."

Sheikha Hayat Al Khalifa: The Award is rooted in the concept of creativity and is the most

precious in my life

Sheikha Hayat bint Abdulaziz Al Khalifa, Member of the Supreme Council for Youth and

Sports, Member of the Board of Directors of the Bahrain Olympic Committee, and Chairman of

the Bahraini Women's Sports Committee, said: "The day I won the Award was one of the most

important days of my life, in light of the wonderful recognition and the fact that this great award

is associated with the name of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice

President and Prime Minister of UAE, and Ruler of Dubai.

"The Award has established the concept and culture of creativity from a regional, Arab and

international perspective, and it has motivated many athletes, administrators, referees, and those

in charge of sports work and professional institutions since its inception, and thus we find that all

athletes are harnessing their potential in order to win this honor."

Al Khalifa concluded, "What we always strive for is distinction in any of the areas that we go

into in our lives, and when the Award and honor comes from the first rider and the first athlete, it

has an important impact on all of our lives. We have obtained the Award of His Highness, which

will remain a source of pride for all of us in our sports career and future generations will work

with utmost strength to attain this distinguished honor."

Award partners:

The Award is linked to partnership and cooperation relations with many major economic

institutions that believe in the Award's role in empowering societies through sports, developing

sports and supporting creative people in the sports field in the United Arab Emirates, the Arab

world and the world.

The list of strategic partners for the 11th Edition of the Award included: Nakheel, Dubai Solar

Show and Emirates Airlines, in addition to the gold sponsor "Dragon Oil".

The Award is also linked to cooperative relations with many sports and media institutions in the

UAE, the Arab nation and the world to achieve the desired development of sport and empower

societies through sport.

PICTURES:

The award’s logo, and the logo of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives

His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum hands over the award to

Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud

His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer

Moaza Al Marri

Hayat Al Khalifa

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