UAE launches Middle East’s first Sports Federations Governance Guide

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

The General Authority of Sports and the UAE National Olympic Committee have introduced the Sports Federations Governance Guide – the first project of its kind in the Middle East and a milestone in the local sports sector’s development.

The new guide establishes a blueprint for structuring sports federations that can promote the growth of various sports, setting the foundations for an athletic environment and community that are capable and empowered to make local and international achievements.

The announcement was made last week during a conference in Dubai, where the contents of the guide were showcased, emphasizing the Authority’s plans to establish a robust regulatory ecosystem that empowers sports federations to pursue championship titles around the region and the world. The conference was attended by Saeed Abdul Ghaffar, Secretary-General of the General Authority for Sports, and Mohammed Ben Sulayem, Secretary-General of the National Olympic Committee (NOC).

The guide is part of the authority’s plan to develop the sports sector and empower national sports leaders. It sets clearly defined guidelines and frameworks for establishing sports federations in the UAE, from assembling a board of directors, to setting objectives; outlining responsibilities; determining obligations; setting procedures for selecting members; forming permanent and temporary committees, administrative, and technical bodies; all the way to designing its financial systems and governance frameworks.

“Developing the sports sector and its institutions is a top priority for the UAE’s leadership, given the role that sports play in building communities and enhancing the country’s reputation in the region and the world,” said Ghaffar.

“To that end, we have intensified our efforts towards setting forward-looking visions that drastically upgrade performance across various sports sectors. Our ultimate goal is to have a generation of talented athletes who can make a name for the UAE in all high-profile regional and international competitions.

“The launch of the Sports Federations Governance Guide – the first of its kind anywhere in the region – is a prime example of how constructive partnerships can ensure the UAE’s progress and prosperity in all sectors. A product of hard work and close cooperation with the UAE National Olympic Committee, the Guide offers a forward-looking roadmap for developing our national sports sector, setting strong foundations rooted in international best practices and governance standards for a sector that is competitive on the global stage,” he added.

For his part, Ben Sulayem said: “We meet today to announce a new beginning and a novel business strategy that seeks, first and foremost, to establish the ideal environment for our sports federations to thrive, in line with the directives and vision Sheikh Ahmed Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE National Olympic Committee. These federations will represent our country in every sporting event, competition, and institution, and the ‘Sports Federations Governance Guide’ was launched to support them.

"The Guide was developed by a group of prominent legal experts and sports specialists, in accordance with international best practices and standards; our objective is for it to serve as a manual that will help federations in drafting their bylaws and statutes.”

Ben Sulayem applauded the close coordination between the NOC and the General Authority of Sports to develop the Guide at this critical time, where all sectors have been experiencing notable growth, benefitting from the great support of the wise leadership – particularly UAE President His Highness  Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s interest and support for the sports sector.

“Sports play a significant role in building cultures. We were fortunate enough in the UAE to have a wise leadership that settles for nothing short of excellence in every sector – and sports is no exception. Our leaders firmly believe in the role sports play in drawing attention to our country and its accomplishments; our athletes are ambassadors representing us in front of the entire world at major sporting events and championships. With that in mind, we felt it was imperative that we all join hands to develop this guide in line with the Olympic Charter and the laws of international sports federations,” he added.