Mansoor bin Mohammed commends UAE athletes for making the country proud and inspiring the youth

His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE National Olympic Committee, affirmed that 2025 had been marked by record-breaking performances and significant milestones for the national Olympic movement that would serve to inspire generations of athletes to come up with their very best while representing the nation and competing at major continental and international sporting events.

His Highness noted that 2025 had witnessed the UAE’s strongest showings ever at three major international sporting events. He recalled the 3rd GCC Beach Games in Muscat, where Emirati athletes won 23 medals for the UAE’s best-ever performance. UAE athletes then went on to replicate their impressive showing at the continental level, securing 31 medals at the 3rd Asian Youth Games in the Kingdom of Bahrain, setting a series of records at the Games. The next highlight for UAE athletes was their participation in the 6th Islamic Solidarity Games in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Winning 27 medals, UAE athletes returned with their highest medal haul, a performance that far exceeded their display at five previous editions of the event.

His Highness Sheikh Mansoor commended the outstanding commitment and remarkable performances demonstrated by the UAE athletes and the strength of will they showcased across various championships and competitions. He noted that the common factor in every sporting feat achieved at every international event was the triumphal moment when the UAE flag was raised high on the podium. This was accomplished by the nation’s athletes through their exceptional dedication, commitment and pride in representing the UAE, His Highness said, expressing his best wishes to all UAE athletes for their continued success manifesting in ever more titles and medals at regional and international sporting events.

His Highness was chairing a meeting of the Board of Directors of the UAE National Olympic Committee held at the NOC’s headquarters in Dubai on Monday. The meeting was attended by His Excellency Dr Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Sports, Vice President of the UAE National Olympic Committee and Chairman of the Executive Office of the NOC, as well as His Excellency Faris Mohammed Al Mutawa, Secretary General of the UAE NOC, alongside members of the Board.

Proposal for Values and Ethics Committee approved
The meeting approved a proposal to form a Values and Ethics Committee at the UAE NOC, to be chaired by His Excellency Dr Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, appointing His Excellency Faris Mohammed Al Mutawa as Vice Chairman. It also approved a proposal to establish the UAE Olympic Solidarity Committee, chaired by His Excellency Faris Mohammed Al Mutawa, approved the appointment of Her Excellency Amal Hassan Bu Shlakh, Member of the Board of Directors of the UAE NOC, as Chair of the Gender Equality Committee, and approved the formation of the Media Committee chaired by His Excellency Ibrahim Al Asam Al Zaabi, Member of the Board of Directors of the UAE NOC. In addition, the Board approved the technical and administrative report of the UAE National Olympic Committee for 2025, as well as the technical and administrative vision and the Olympic Activity Plan for 2026.

The meeting approved the minutes of the UAE National Olympic Committee Board meeting No. (2/2025) and endorsed the convening of the Committee’s Ordinary General Assembly meeting during the first quarter of 2026. It also approved the Code of Conduct and Ethics for sports delegations, as well as a proposal to honour athletes who were part of the successful campaigns in Bahrain and Riyadh on the sidelines of the upcoming General Assembly meeting.

During the meeting, the Board of Directors of the UAE NOC announced the approval of the Committee’s new logo in line with its approved visual identity. The meeting also reviewed the outcomes of the UAE’s participation in the 3rd Asian Youth Games Bahrain 2025 and the 6th Islamic Solidarity Games Riyadh 2025.

The Board further approved financial regulations, the National Olympic Committee’s final accounts for the 2025 financial year, the estimated budget for the 2026 financial year, and the auditor’s report for the 2025 financial year. Furthermore, the Board approved the participation budget for sporting events in line with the Olympic Activity Plan for 2026, as well as the administrative and financial reports for 2025.

Proposed regulatory framework reviewed
During the meeting, attendees reviewed the report on the UAE’s hosting of the first edition of the GCC Conference on Sports Law and Sports Management, which is scheduled to take place in May next year. They also reviewed a proposed regulatory framework governing the formation and procedures of the Central Committee for Sports Federation Elections, the regulatory framework governing the formation and procedures of the Central Committee for Electoral Appeals of Sports Federations, as well as the unified system for the establishment of Gulf sports federations, submitted by the General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

At the conclusion of the meeting, His Highness Sheikh Mansoor posed for a commemorative photograph with members of the UAE national badminton team who were crowned champions during the recently concluded AirBadminton World Cup, which was organised by the Sharjah Sports Council in cooperation with the Badminton World Federation and the UAE Badminton Federation.