The award is organised under the banner of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, and is hosted by the President of the United Arab Emirates National Olympic Committee Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

It is designed to promote creativity in sports and attracts entries from the United Arab Emirates and around the world.

The Board marked International Women’s Day by saying it will continue to try to empower women in sport through honouring their creativity and organising sports forums, seminars and conferences for women in sport.

"The UAE occupies a prominent position globally in the field of women's empowerment," said Mattar Al Tayer, who chairs the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award Board.

"Our wise leadership has given women the opportunity to play their role fully in serving and developing the nation in all fields.

"Emirati women have assumed leadership positions at the level of ministries and national institutions, as well as in every other sector.

"Women have represented the nation on international forums in all fields, including sports.

"We are pioneers in the field of women's empowerment, not just in honouring achievers, but also through the membership of the Board of Trustees of the Award where Emirati and Arab women have been present in the Board of Trustees from the time Award was established until now.

"Indeed, the presence of women has become stronger through the membership of the Board of Trustees as well as the assumption of the General Secretariat of the Award, which is an important and vital role, that represents the link between the Board of Trustees and the different teams working for the Awards, and also in communicating with the sports sector.

"In addition to this, women are also present in all the committees working within the Award."

Al Tayer said the ninth edition of the award honoured organisations with successful initiatives to boost the role of women at local, Arab and international level.

He also highlighted that "Empowerment of Women in Sports" was the slogan of the year’s award, as well as the 13th Dubai International Sports Creativity Symposium.

Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United States, won the Arab Sports Personality of the Award in the ninth edition.

She claimed the award is a matter of great pride and honour, adding that the prize helped to encourage young people and athletes.

"I hope that all Federations will include elite women, so that they become role models for women who come after them.

"We do not only look at the women who practice sports, or the administrators working in the sports field, but we are looking forward to have women who inspire girls, who teach them sports, and pass on the experiences to them, because without this, we cannot advance or follow the path of developed countries in this regard."

The 11th edition of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award was postponed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Organisers expect to receive entries for this year’s award in September, with winners selected the following month.

The awards will handed out in early 2022.

Among the categories in the awards is an international category, only open to members of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations.

As part of this category, Federations are being challenged to create initiatives on tolerance in sports and knowledge management in the sports field.