Local, Arab Sports Personality named

HRH Princess Haya bint Al Hussein, wife of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, has been named the ‘Local Sports Personality’ by the Board of Trustees for the seventh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award.

Princess Haya was awarded in recognition of the efforts during her two-term presidency of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) between 2007-2014 as well as her contribution to the modernisation of the FEI with increased transparency and good governance, and the establishment of an independent and efficient arbitration regime in addition to environmental protection, according to UAE News Agency (WAM).

Princess Haya also created the FEI Solidarity programme, patterned after a similar Olympic project, to support the global development of equestrian sport.

Sports figures and institutions were announced as the winners of the seventh edition of the award at a press conference by Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award, Khalid Ali bin Zayed, Secretary-General of the award, members of the panel of judges of the award and other officials.

Saudi Arabia's Prince Nawaf bin Faisal bin Fahad bin Abdulaziz was named the ‘Arab Sports Personality’ for his efforts to support and improve sports in the Arab region during his presidency of the Youth Welfare (Ministry of Youth and Sport).

Prince Nawaf bin Faisal was also the former president of the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee, president of the Union of Arab National Olympic Committees, president of the Union of Arab Football Associations (Pan-Arab Football Federation), president of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, member of the International Olympic Committee, president of the Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation, president of the Saudi Paralympics Committee, and member of the International Relations Commission at the International Olympic Committee, WAM reported.