Today's Edition
MAYS IBRAHIM (DUBAI)
His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai, President of the UAE National Olympic Committee, and Chairman of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award, alongside His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, on Wednesday honoured the winners of the 12th edition of the Award during a ceremony held in Madinat Jumeirah.
Recognising excellence across various sports disciplines, the Award celebrated 30 creative athletes, teams, personalities, and institutions from across the UAE, the Arab region and the world.
The 12th Award ceremony, part of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, drew the largest number of nominations to date, totalling 545 across its diverse categories, which now include a new category specifically for Arab junior athletes.
The ceremony was attended by H.H. Sheikh Hasher bin Maktoum Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Tennis Federation; Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award; Moaza Al Marri, Secretary General of the Award; Sheikh Abdullah Al Sharqi, President of the UAE Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation; Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA); Major General Ismail Al Gergawi, President of the UAE and Arab Basketball Federation; members of the Board of Trustees and heads of local clubs and Arab and international federations.
The “UAE Sports Personality Award” went to H.H. Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman, in recognition for his significant contributions to the advancement of sports. Notably, he initiated the Ajman Stud for horses, a renowned stable that has garnered numerous titles in world championships for horse beauty. H.H. Sheikh Humaid bin Ammar Al Nuaimi received the award on his behalf.
H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed also presented the ‘’Outstanding Successes Award” to Russian athlete Khabib Nurmagomedov for his remarkable achievements in martial arts. Nurmagomedov has clinched the World Mixed Martial Arts Championship title multiple times and boasts the longest unbeaten record, securing victories in 29 consecutive matches. Notably, Nurmagomedov is the first Muslim to achieve the title of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
“This award serves as a global platform that reflects Dubai’s unwavering dedication to acknowledging creativity and honouring exceptional accomplishments,” His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said in a post on X.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed also honoured Gianni Infantino, President of the world football body FIFA, with the “International Sports Personality Award”, for guiding FIFA through a transformative era, implementing groundbreaking technologies and initiatives that have profoundly impacted the sport.
During the honouring ceremony, Infantino thanked His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, and the people of the UAE for awarding him the title of International sports personality. “We all feel home in this beautiful city of Dubai. A real world city where a lot is done for sports,” he said.
During the ceremony, H.H. Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed also presented trophies to several awardees, including Sheikh Talal Al Fahad Al Subah, named the “Arab Sports Personality” for his remarkable contributions to sports development in Kuwait and across the region. Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed also honoured the Dubai Horse Racing Club with the best “UAE Organisation Award”, presenting the trophy to Rashid bin Dalmook bin Juma Al Maktoum, the club’s chairman. Additionally, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) received the “International Organisation Award”, and Sheikh Saud bin Ali Al Thani, the President of FIBA, accepted the trophy on behalf of the federation.
Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed also recognised the outstanding achievements of six winners in “The UAE Youth Award” across various sports. The recipients include Sultan Saleh Mohammed (shooting), Ahmed Khalid Al Abdouli (taekwondo), Mira Abdulla Al Shihi (swimming), Zamzam Mohammed Al Hammadi (jiu-jitsu), Alhayam Saif Al Blooshi (fencing), and Saeed Mahmoud Al Awadhi (water cycling).
Also honoured by him were the winners in the “Arab Junior Athletes” category, a recent addition to the Award categories. The distinguished winners include Hanaa Ayman Juwdat from Egypt (table tennis), Abdul Aziz Al Saif from Saudi Arabia (karate), Noor Sahnoon from Tunisia (tennis), Abderahim Medjahed from Algeria (judo), Malak Al Alami from Morocco (tennis), and Ahmed Ibrahim Shamaa from Syria (weightlifting).
Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed also recognised the winners of “The UAE Athlete Award”, which was jointly awarded to Salem Hamad Al Ketbi and Khalid Mohammed Al Shhehi. Al Ketbi secured gold and silver medals at the World Endurance Championship in 2021 and 2022. Al Shhehi achieved gold medals in the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship in 2022 and 2023, in addition to three gold medals in the World Youth Jiu-Jitsu Championship from 2021 to 2023. He holds the top global ranking in the 62 kg youth and senior categories.
The “UAE Administrator Award” went to His Excellency Abdel Moneim Al Hashemi, Chairman of the UAE and Asian Jiu-Jitsu Federation, First Deputy President of the Jiu-Jitsu International Federation, and Chairman of Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Association for Professionals in recognition of his remarkable contribution to the development of the sport of Jiu-Jitsu.
The award was accepted on his behalf by Mohammed Salem Al Dhaheri, Vice President of the federation. Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed also honoured other winners, including the UAE Show Jumping Team, as recipient of the “UAE Team Award”.
Additionally, the Arab Athlete Award was shared by Khadija Mardhi from Morocco and Ghufran Bel Khair from Tunisia. The “Creative Athlete” prize in the People of Determination category was awarded to Algerian Nasima Safi.
She secured the gold medal at the World Para Athletics Championship in 2023, adding to her remarkable tally of four Olympic medals and eight international medals.
The “Arab Team Award” went to Morocco for its stunning showing as the first Arabian and African team to achieve historical results during its participation in the FIFA World Cup Finals.
Furthermore, “The Arab Administrator Award” went to Mohammed Hassan Al Shammari of Iraq in recognition of his ground-breaking role as the first Iraqi, Arabian, and Asian leader to be appointed as the chairperson of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) since its inception.
Ahead of the award ceremony, Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed and Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed met with partners and sponsors of the Award.
The meeting was attended by Sheikh Majid Al Mualla, Divisional Senior Vice President, International Affairs at Emirates Airlines; Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer; Issam Galadari, Board Member and MD at Nakheel; and Naaman Atallah, Group Chief Executive Officer of Nakheel. Also present were Mohammed Al Muallem, Executive Vice President at DP World, and Yousef Jawad Al Redha, CEO of the Corporate Administration Support Services Sector, RTA.
