Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Darley Awards, and the 28th annual Darley USA Awards, sponsored by the H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, is set to be staged at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, for the second straight year as the winners will be named during the celebrations ceremony tomorrow, Friday.
The Awards ceremony will be attended by Abdulla Al Subosi, General Consulate of the UAE Embassy in Los Angele, Arif Al Awani, Secretary-General of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, Sami Jassim Al Boenain, Chairman of the International Federation for Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR), Ms. Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of the H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, Chairman of the International Federation of Horse Racing Academies (IFHRA), Chairman of Ladies and Apprentice Racing Committee in the IFAHR, Adnan Sultan Al Nuaimi, Director-General of the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Ali Moosa Al Khamiri, Advisor at Meydan and Kinsman Wright, Darley Award Chairman, as well as the Festival's sponsors and a big number of Arabian horse breeders, owners, jockeys and lady jockeys from around the globe..
Noora Al Suwaidi, Secretary-General, UAE General Women's Union, Chairman of the UAE Women's Sports Committee and Member of the UAE Olympic Committee, said, "It will be only appropriate that we at the UAE General Women's Union start by hailing the initiatives of the H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, and Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, Supreme President of the Family Development Foundation (FDF) and Head of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, for creating opportunities for women all over the world to showcase their skills and talents in equestrian sport."
According to Lara Sawaya, the staging of the Mother of the UAE Darley Awards and the US Darley Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood is a turning point for the festival and it would be "different this year at the American horses' level."
She explained, "The move proves once again the attention and care received by women's sports at all national, regional, continental and international levels, and such attention will play a crucial role in encouraging women to enter this field very strongly. Therefore, the H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Darley Awards for the best woman providing services for Arabian Horses represents an important turning point in the sport, as it draws new lines for the future of the woman in Arabian horse racing.
"I would like to thank H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs and H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, for their strong support and backing for the festival," she said.
"The staging of the H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Awards in Hollywood, the capital of world cinema, was a new challenge for the festival which it achieved thanks to the determination of the persons involved.
"Three candidates have been nominated for each category, and the winner will be selected from them in the ceremony, which will see 250 guests passing along the red carpet, including 60 ladies who have been nominated for the H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak awards, which have been increased to 13 categories," Sawaya said.
"The ceremony will start at 7.30 p.m. L.A. time, with all guests arriving for the red carpet event, followed by a cocktail reception party for all breeders, owners, trainers and jockeys involved in Arabian horse races. Thereafter, the winners of the Mother of the UAE Darley Awards will be announced in the 13 international categories," she added.
Jasim Al Darmaki, Acting Director-General of the Tourism and Culture Authority, TCA, pointed out that the H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Racing Festival is an ambassador for the UAE in general and Abu Dhabi in particular.
"The TCA is keen to support this festival in line with its strategy to promote tourism and commerce. The staging of the awards at the Dolby Theatre is a source of pride for the UAE and a good stage to promote Abu Dhabi," he added.
Arif Al Awani, Secretary-General of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, hailed the great efforts made to promote the Arabian horse. "The vision and initiative of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan has contributed to the promotion of the country's civilisation," he said.
Sheikh Hamdan bin Suroor Al Sharqi, representing Invest AD, said, "It's an honour for us to be associated with the H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival."
The H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival is sustained by the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority and coordinated by Abu Dhabi Sports Council in cooperation with Emirates Racing Authority, IFAHR, Emirates Arabian Horse Society, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare with The National Archives as the official partner, and Emirates Airline as the official carriers. It is sponsored by Invest AD, Tourism Development and Investment Company, TDIC, Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, ADNEC, Al Awani General Enterprises, Kabale, Al Wathba Centre, the UAE's General Women's Union, the H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy, Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition 2015, Dr. Nader Saab Switzerland, Al Wathba Centre, Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Eastern Mangroves Suites-Abu Dhabi by Jannah, Yas Channel, Omeir Travel and The Racing Post.
Source: WAM