H.H. Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, stressed that the support of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, represents an important motive and encouragement to continue the journey of development and advancement in the sports sector for all members of the Board of Directors of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, to provide more targeted initiatives, and advanced programmes and sporting competitions, which will serve the sporting movement during the upcoming period.

This statement was made while Sheikh Nahyan headed the first meeting of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council’s newly-formed Board of Directors, which was held today at the Meeting Hall of the Abu Dhabi Country Club.

"The wise leadership’s trust represents a source of pride and glory, and calls upon us to work with team spirit, to serve the aspirations to progress in our sports development and to raise the UAE’s flag in all sporting events and international competitions," he said.

"The sports sector has achieved considerable development and accomplishments, which has kept pace with the UAE’s current pioneering status. We should all strengthen these gains by maintaining and supporting them with new successes, to inspire future generations and lead our sports sector to stand at the forefront of our advanced nation," Sheikh Nahyan added.

He highlighted the necessity of intensifying promotional campaigns for community sports competitions, and to raise the level of community awareness about these activities, to support a healthy and ideal lifestyle in the Abu Dhabi community, enabling the general members of the community to face health-related challenges and obstacles through proven methods.

He also approved a performance standards guide for local sports clubs while obligating clubs to follow and apply these standards.

Sheikh Nahyan ordered the preparation of a study of the current financial situation of local sports clubs, including their processes for spending and obtaining revenues and to support the efforts to improve these processes. He also stressed the necessity for clubs to ensure that their budgets fall under their specified financial limits.

He then viewed the latest preparations and updates on the organisational work to host the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2017 and the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019. His Highness also viewed a project to maintain five stadiums that will host the World Cup and the Continental Cup. His Highness highlighted the necessity of completing the requirements to develop these stadiums that will host the two sporting events.

Sheikh Nahyan also reviewed international sporting events hosted by Abu Dhabi, under the Abu Dhabi Sports Council’s initiative, "Abu Dhabi: An International Capital for Sports."

He ordered the preparation of an integrated plan for hosting international sporting events during the coming five years and to provide all the requirements of organisational success and excellence, as a continuation of Abu Dhabi’s course in hosting major championships and events, to increase the economic effect on the capital from media and marketing income.

Sheikh Nahyan called for the deployment of all capabilities, abilities and support, to ensure the success of the capital, Abu Dhabi, as it prepares to host a series of sporting events during the 2017-2018 season, most notably the Judo Grand Slam Championship, the Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies Open, the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the FIFA Club World Cup, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, the Invitational Charity Golf Championship, the Saudi Super Cup, the Abu Dhabi Tour, the Red Bull Air Race, the ITU World Triathlon Abu Dhabi, the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship and the FINA High Diving World Cup.

At the end of the meeting, he called for the continuing efforts for improvement and development, to achieve the goals and aspirations of the sports sector and the ambitions of its competitors, supporting the prestigious international stature of UAE sports.

Source: WAM