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ABU DHABI: Nominations on Thursday opened for the sixth Fatima Bint Mubarak Women’s Sports Awards, this year offering prize money totaling 1,300,000 Emirati dirhams ($354,000).

The announcement was made on Thursday by officials of the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy in cooperation with Abu Dhabi Sports Council.

The awards, the first of their kind in the region, aim to empower women and highlight their achievements, especially in the sporting sector.

Speaking at a press conference, Sheikha Fatima bint Hazza bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, chairperson of the academy’s board of directors and president of the Abu Dhabi and Al-Ain ladies clubs, pointed out that the awards represented a new incentive for the development of sportswomen in the UAE and throughout the Arab world.

She said: “We are honored of the value and status this award holds and its pioneering role in supporting the creative and influential values in the world of sport to motivate and encourage sportswomen.

“The award with many categories is an inspiration for outstanding sportswomen, and women of creativity and excellence in both the local and international circuits. We wish all participants success.”

The announcement of the opening of nominations came during a media briefing held by the academy and Abu Dhabi Sports Council on Thursday at the Emirates Palace hotel in the UAE capital.

Also in attendance at the event was Aref Hamad Al-Awani, secretary-general of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, Dr. Omniyat Al-Hajeri, vice chairwoman of the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy, and Mariam Al-Mansouri, the academy’s head of technical support and training programs.

Registration for nominations will close on Aug. 8, with shortlisted candidates announced on Sept. 9, and the awards ceremony taking place on Sept. 17.

Competition categories include individual and collective levels in areas such as sports management, training, research, sports sponsorship, and women of determination.

This year’s categories for best individuals, and the winners’ prizes, include for top Arab and Emirati athletes (both AED300,000), youth athlete, athlete (people of determination), female/male coach, and sports media (all AED100,000).

Classes for institutions and sport federations include best youth development program, team, and sports creative initiative (including sports development research, technology, and sports innovation), each with rewards of AED100,000.

An award for Arab sports personality of the year — someone whose experience exceeds 20 years of competition — will also be up for grabs.

This year’s event is sponsored by strategic partners the Abu Dhabi Public Health Center, and the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, platinum partners Etihad Rail, and Dolphin Energy, and support partner Abu Dhabi Cooperative.

Al-Hajeri said: “We are pleased to announce the launch date of the Fatima Bint Mubarak Women’s Sports Award.

“The event is held under the generous patronage of Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, Mother of Nation, and president of both the General Women’s Union and the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, Supreme Chairwoman of Family Development Foundation.

“Through this award, Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy seeks to shed light on women’s sports and on the experiences of inspiring women in the sports sector, with the participation of a group of the most prominent personalities and influencers in the world of sports.

“The academy is emphasizing the consolidation of its role in empowering women and enhancing their impact in different sectors, especially the sports sector,” she added.