His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, has honoured the winners of the eighth Fatima Bint Mubarak Women Sports Awards at a ceremony held at the Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, Abu Dhabi.
The awards are held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, President of the General Women’s Union, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, and Mother of the Nation, to enhance the role of Arab women.
The awards are also supported by Sheikha Fatima bint Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy, President of the Abu Dhabi and Al Ain Women’s Clubs, and owner and founder of Al Shira'aa Stables.
The award is organised by the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy, in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council. The winners were also honoured by His Excellency Hassan Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Assistant Undersecretary of the Presidential Court for Support Services, in the presence of sports leaders, officials and athletes from the UAE and the Arab world.
Maryam Ahmed Abdullah Al Zeyoudi (UAE) won the Best Paralympic Athlete award, while Marwa Al Amri (Tunisia) was honoured as Best Coach. Nahla Nabil Bouzid Al Maghribi (Sudan) took home the Best Sports Media award, while Latifa Mohammed Khalifa Al Falasi (UAE) won the Best Youth Athlete award. In the Best Team category, Zamalek Club (Egypt) received the award for the efforts of its women's volleyball team that won the African Clubs Championship. Ruqayya Ahmed Abdullah Al Zaabi (UAE) won the Best Sports Mother award.
In the Best Arab Women Athlete category, artistic gymnastics star Kelia Nammour (Algeria) won, while the Best Emirati Women Athlete award went to jiu-jitsu champion Ahoud Khalifa Al Ketbi. The Arab Sport Personality of the Year 2024 was also announced to be Sheikha Dr Hessa bint Khalid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Member of the Board of Directors of the Olympic Committee and Head of the Gender Equal Opportunities Committee in Sports, who also held the position of Chair of the Women’s Committee of the Bahrain Football Association.
In the new category this year, dedicated to the pioneers of sports work in the Arab world, the award was given to Sheikha Naima Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the Women’s Sports Federation in Kuwait and Honourary President of the GCC Women’s Sports Committees, in appreciation of her prominent role in raising the status of women’s sports in the State of Kuwait and the Gulf region.
The award was also given to Her Excellency Sana bint Hamad bin Saud Al Busaidi, Head of the Oman Women’s Sports Committee and Advisor to the Minister of Education, for her pioneering role in women’s sports in the Sultanate of Oman and being at the forefront of many influential initiatives.
