General Authority of Sports organises 'We Collaborate for Tomorrow' forum to celebrate Emirati Women's Day

The General Authority of Sports held a panel session titled ‘Emirati Women’s Day Forum’ under the theme ‘We Collaborate for Tomorrow’, to celebrate and honour the outstanding efforts and contributions of Emirati women in the development journey of the UAE. The objective of the session was to highlight the pivotal role of Emirati women in the society, their invaluable contributions to promoting sustainable development in the UAE, as well as to various sectors of the country, particularly the sports sector.

The opening speech for the session was delivered by His Excellency Saeed Abdul Ghaffar Hussein, Director General of the General Authority for Sports, while it was moderated by Hassan Habib, Deputy Manager of Dubai Sports Channel. The session was attended by Her Excellency Dr. Mariam Matar, the Founder and Chairperson, UAE Genetic Diseases Association; Her Excellency Dr. Shatha Al Naqbi, Member of the Federal National Council (FNC); Her Excellency Dr. Huda Al Matrooshi, President of the UAE Modern Pentathlon Federation, Her Excellency Dr. Eng. Suaad Sultan Al Shamsi, the first aircraft engineer in UAE; lawyer Alia Al Ameri; and His Excellency Mohamed Hilal Al Hazami, CEO of the Mohamed Hilal Group.

His Excellency Saeed Abdul Ghaffar Hussain expressed his appreciation for the innumerable contributions as well as extraordinary feats achieved by Emirati women at various levels. H.E. also highlighted the commitment of our wise leadership to empowering women and enhancing their presence across sectors, as well as the unlimited support of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, the ‘Mother of the Nation’. He said: “As we celebrate this national occasion today, we are extremely proud of the achievements and success of our Emirati women. They are making their mark in a wide range of fields and solidifying their presence in the decision-making processes and other high positions in the country. This reaffirms the role of Emirati women and their unflinching dedication to the progress of our society and nation.”

He added: “The Authority attributes greater significance to empowering women in sports and administration, enabling them to play a crucial role in the development of the sports sector. We constantly strive to increase the presence of women in various decision-making positions within the sports sector. The contributions of Emirati women to the sports sector of the country are enormous. There have been numerous honourable female representations of our national teams and remarkable achievements in local, regional and global sports forums. Emirati women have secured various administrative positions and other high-level positions across several sports federations and clubs, in line with the visions and aspirations of our wise leadership.”

He further stated: “We are committed to offering the requisite support and assistance to enhance the presence of Emirati women in the sports sector as well as elevate their status, in alignment with objectives of our wise leadership. We place importance on the aspirations of women and increase their contribution to achieving the ambitious goals of the ‘Year of Sustainability’. We further emphasise promoting their participation in sports as a key focus of our strategy, in partnership with all sports federations and authorities in the UAE.”

The panel session at the ‘Emirati Women's Day Forum’ dealt with several discussion axes, most notably the role of women and their participation in the development process in the UAE to achieve sustainability, the efforts of the UAE to empower Emirati women in various sectors, the role of institutions and civil and government agencies in promoting women's participation in achieving future visions and aspirations of the wise leadership, and the achievements and successes of Emirati women under the continuous support of the wise leadership.

The session covered a number of topics, the most important of which were the role of women and their involvement in the UAE's efforts to achieve sustainable development. It further sheds light on the country’s efforts to empower Emirati women across a variety of sectors, the role of institutions and civil and government agencies in encouraging women's participation to achieve future visions of the wise leadership, and the accomplishments and successes of Emirati women under the wise leadership's constant support.