Sharjah: A delegation comprised of high-level members of the Supreme Organising Committee for the Arab Women Sports Tournament (AWST), headed by Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmad Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Committee, met with a number of Saudi Arabian sports bodies and organisations to strengthen collaboration and increase the number of Saudi athletes participating in AWST 2018.
The event is scheduled to be hosted in Sharjah from February 2 to 12.
During their brief visit, the delegation met separately with Prince Talal Bin Badr Bin Saud Bin Abdul Aziz, President of the Arab Sports Council and Chairman of the Union of Arab National Olympic Committees (UANOC), and Princess Reema Bint Bander Bin Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz, Undersecretary of the General Authority for Sports Planning and Development and discussed potential joint initiatives and ways to develop women’s sports in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and the wider Arab region in general.
The delegation, which comprised of Shaikha Hayat Bint Abdul Aziz Al Khalifa, member of the Bahraini National Olympic Committee and Chairperson of the tournament’s follow-up and supervision committee; Nada Askar Al Naqbi, Director General, Sharjah Women Sports Foundation (SWSF); Sa’ad Bin Saleh Al Sufyani, Assistant Secretary General, UANOC, besides a number of other members and officials in charge of organising and media committees.
“These meetings are in keeping with the directives of Shaikha Jawaher Bint Mohammad Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs and Chairperson of SWSF, to bolster cooperation and collaboration with Saudi sports organisations and fulfil the visions of both countries, supporting the presence of GCC women in international sports forums,” Shaikh Khalid said.
“Our collective efforts will ensure that there is greater participation and a more holistic approach in developing the status of women’s sport across the region and beyond. With these combined endeavours, we will continue to see significant increases in the success of our female athletes with regards to both the level of competition and the results achieved,” he added.
Prince Talal and Princess Reema praised the immense support extended to Arab women’s sports by His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and his wife, Shaikha Jawaher.
They further confirmed that Saudi Arabia is determined to press ahead with women’s empowerment and increase their engagement in all domains, especially in sports, an approach that perfectly aligns with UAE’s ‘Vision 2030’.
