Noura Khalifa Al Suwaidi, Director-General of the General Women's Union, GWU, has praised the selection of H.H. Sheikha Mariam bint Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as the Honourary President of the Special Olympics Organisation.

Al Suwaidi said that the decision of the Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to transform the UAE Special Olympics into an independent organisation headed by H.H. Sheikha Mariam was a historic decision, in line with the wise policy of the state to ensure success and exceptional performance.

The message of H.H. Sheikha Mariam is to prepare a generation of well-educated and well- cultured Emiratis, Al Suwaidi noted. She pointed out that Sheikha Mariam had followed the approach of collective action.

She stated that the GWU would provide the necessary support for the success of the organisation and provide the best services for Emirati sportsmen and female athletes.

The GWU Director-General added that Abu Dhabi will continue its preparations to host the World Games Special Olympics 2019, and the preparations were in full swing. The decision to turn the Special Olympics into an independent organisation was in the interest of these preparations, she asserted.

She explained that this change would contribute to the selection of the best athletes from the UAE to compete in the Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi 2019.