Abu dhabi: The organising committee of the Fatima bint Mubarak Women Sports Award has announced the final shortlist of nominees competing for the awards in the ninth edition of the event. The award is held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Mother of the Nation, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union (GWU), President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation (FDF).
According to Emirates News Agency, the award is also supported and sponsored by Sheikha Fatima bint Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy and of Abu Dhabi and Al Ain Ladies Clubs. The event is organised by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy. The organising committee has set Tuesday as the date for the annual awards ceremony, which will be held in Abu Dhabi to honour the winners across the various categories.
The nomination period for the
2025 edition recently closed after receiving submissions from both inside and outside the UAE. The committee had extended the nomination deadline to give all candidates the opportunity to compete for the prestigious award, following the official opening of nominations on April 28. The Fatima Bint Mubarak Women’s Sports Award aims to empower women in sports, highlight their achievements throughout the year, and promote excellence and competitiveness in women’s athletics. It also seeks to foster an environment that supports and motivates female athletes to elevate their performance to new heights.
The total prize value is AED2 million, distributed across eight individual and team categories. The individual categories include Best Arab Sportswoman, Best Emirati Sportswoman, Best Emerging Sportswoman, Best Paralympic Sportswoman, Best Coach (Male or Female), Best Sports Media Influencer, and Best Sportsmother. The team category includes the Best Team Award, while a Special Recognition Award for Arab Sports Perso
nality of the Year will be granted to an individual who has made a significant and impactful contribution to women’s sports over the past year.
The final shortlist includes nominees in several categories. For Best Sports Media Influencer, the contenders are Hadiya Mohamed Al Saeed from Egypt, Sarah Fahmy Othman from Yemen, and Maha Yousef Al Khalifa from Saudi Arabia. Best Sports Mother nominees are Fatima Hamad Al Muhairi and Maryam Hassan Al Marzouqi from the UAE, along with Hind Ibrahim Al Sindi from Bahrain. Competing for Best Arab Women Athlete are Sarah Abdulrahman Al Hawal from Kuwait, Marwa Omar Bouzayani from Tunisia, and Farida Mohamed Ahmed from Egypt.
In the Best Female / Male Coach category, Nihal Saad Eldin Mohamed from Egypt, Nihal Reda Mohamed from Tunisia, and Soraya Haddad from Algeria have been shortlisted. The Best Paralympic Athlete category includes Salama Rashid Al Khatri and Thikra Ahmed Al Kaabi from the UAE, as well as Shaimaa Sami Gaber from Egypt. For Best Youth Athlete, Dalila M
ohamed Saeed from Egypt, and Mona Faisal Al Shar’a and Mazoon Issa Hussein from the UAE are the nominees. The Best Emirati Women Athlete category features Amina Yousef Al Awadhi, Amina Mohamed Al Lougany, and Salma Haitham Al Marri. Lastly, the Best Team category includes Sharjah Women’s Sports Club, Sharjah Women’s Sports Club – Athletics Team, and Sharjah Women’s Sports Club – Taekwondo Team, all from the UAE.