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HH Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan
unveils second edition

HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse
Flat Racing Festival Year Book 2012 launched

His Highness Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority launched the HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival Year Book 2012 soon after inaugurating the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair 2013 which is being held at ADNEC from April 24 to 29, 2013.

Received by Ms Lara Sawaya, Director of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival and Head of Ladies Racing in IFAHR, HH Sheikh Sultan wrote a message for His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs and toured the stand which was uniquely designed as an ‘open book’.

HH Sheikh Sultan was accompanied by Mubarak Hamad Al Muhairi, Director General, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) and they met Professor Wadouda Badran, Consultant, Supreme Council of the Arab Women’s Conference and Lulwa Saleh Al Awadi of Bahrain and M. Satya Narayan, the author of the book that was launched.

His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan in his Foreword to the book, said, “It is my great pleasure to be able to introduce this, the second edition of the annual book commemorating the Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival. Our primary aim in holding this Festival is to honour the memory of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan’s efforts to preserve and promote the traditional heritage of the people of the United Arab Emirates and their forebears.”

“The involvement of the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority(TCA Abu Dhabi) and the Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC), in association with and the support of many other organisations, is ensuring that we are able to promote a love for Arabian horses in tandem with tourism, culture and sport,” he said.

“This year’s event is particularly special because it follows the recent recognition of the inaugural Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival as one of the UAE’s top sporting achievements of 2012. Such timely recognition offers us the assurance that this Festival has an important role to play in ensuring that the Emirati people - men and women alike -will continue their ancient association with the Arabian horse while people from many other countries will be able to discover what makes these ‘spirits of the wind’ so mesmerizing,” Sheikh Mansoor said.

Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority said in his message, “The support of His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, Supreme President of the Family Development Foundation and Head of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, has made the Festival as one of TCA Abu Dhabi’s leading events.

“And the chronicling of these events and achievements in the HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival Year Book was another world achievement it being the first book devoted to a Purebred Arabian race series. The second edition of this Year Book gives TCA Abu Dhabi another reason to celebrate the world-wide success of this unparalleled Festival,” HH Sheikh Sultan added.

Mubarak Hamad Al Muhairi, Director General, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) said, “By promoting this sport globally, the Festival seeks to enhance the status of Arabian racing. The Festival of His Highness Sheikh Mansoor has, in a relatively short time span, helped revive Arabian racing in many centres in the world – something our authority is keen to further progress.”

“We are encouraged by the Festival’s success to date and are confident that Pure-bred Arabian horses will prove that they are equally adept at flat racing as they are in other spheres of equestrian sport,” he added.
“The presence of HH Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan and his message for HH Sheikh Mansoor is a great honour for the Festival. It is a documented fact now that the support the Festival has received is reflected in the success of the Festival’s activities,” said Ms Lara Sawaya, Director of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival and Head of Ladies Racing in IFAHR.

“For the third year we have taken the most important position at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair and a lot of visitors have been touring the stand and getting acquainted with the activities of the Festival. This second edition of the Festival’s Year Book 2012 is a proud moment for us,” Ms Sawaya said.

The HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse  Flat Racing Festival is organized by the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority and co-ordinated by Abu Dhabi Sports Council in association with Emirates Racing Authority, IFAHR and Emirates Arabian Horse Society, supported by General Authority for Youth and Sports Welfare and Fegentri with Emirates airlines as the official carrier and sponsored by Invest AD, Arabtec, Al Rashid Investment, Areej Al Ameerat, Al Awani General Enterprises, Kabale, the UAE's General Women's Union, the HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy, Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition 2013, Dr. Nader Saab Switzerland, Wathba Stud Farm and Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club.

Source: HH SH Mansoor Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival
Photo: Morhaf Al Assaf