If there is someone who is making an impact on the lifestyle of Dubai and UAE thorough humanitarian work, then she is Princess Haya. However, she has decided to step down as the President of International Equestrian Federation (FEI) for the third successive time. Dubai’s HRH Princess Haya bint Al Hussein, wife of Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has shown personal reasons for declining a third term at the helm of the international sports body.
In a statement released on the FEI’s website, HRH Princess Haya, who lost her mother at the age of three, explained her desire to spend more time with her family, particularly her two young children. She said she also wants to put a higher priority on providing help and humanitarian relief to people across the region who continue to suffer daily.
In a conference call with international media, she spoke passionately about conditions in Gaza, and the incredible generosity of Sheikh Mohammed and the UAE, as well as the role of Dubai’s International Humanitarian City, in bringing relief to displaced Palestinian families.
In an election determined by National Federations from countries around the world, HRH Princess Haya became the 13th president and the first Arab president of the 102-year-old organisation in 2006. At age 31, she was also the youngest president of the any international sport federation.
She was re-elected to a second term in 2010 and this, along with her experience as a competitor at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, saw her appointed to the International Olympic Committee.
During her time at the helm of the FEI, she became a Goodwill Ambassador for the World Organisation for Animal Health and serves as President of the International Horse Sports Federation, an alliance she helped create.
Princess Haya said her husband has been her role model for her FEI work and expressed her gratitude to Sheikh Mohammed, a passionate equestrian and a leading figure in the equestrian world, for his ongoing support of her eight year as president of the FEI, the state news agency WAM reported.
She also expressed her gratitude for the steadfast support she received from the UAE National Equestrian Federation.Last year, 109 National Federations voted to change the FEI’s statutes to permit a third term.Princess Haya who is known for her work and honesty has decided to go against the third term. She remained focused on what she has to do and said that she would continue to represent UAE nationals in the FEI as President until the General Assembly in December.
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