In Partnership with Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy.. Al Ain Clun Officially Announces to Establish its First-Ever Women’s Team

In an official press conference held at the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium on 13th October 2019, Al Ain Club signed a memorandum of understanding with Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy dedicated to establishing the first, U-12, U-14 and U-16 women’s football teams.

The MoU signing ceremony was attended by H.E. Al Khamis Obaid Al Kaabi, Chairman of Al Ain Sports Games Club Company, Houriya Al Taheri, Technical Director of Women’s Football Committee, Abdullah Hassan, representative of UAEFA, Fatima Al Ameri, representative of the the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy and a number of Al Ain players and media representatives.

The MoU aims to give the opportunity for all talented women to practice their favored sport, considering that the Club will participate in local and international tournaments.

Moreover, the MoU aims to give special attention to women’s sports in light of the never-ending support given by H.H. Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union (GWU), President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation (FDF), the “Mother of the UAE,” and her incessant encouragement to the Emirati women in various fields.

Khamis Obaid Al Kaabi, Chairman of Al Ain Sports Games Club Company, expressed his deep pleasure in signing the MoU, which is meant to support the women’s football in Al Ain City.

“Signing the MoU will make women’s football keep pace with the successes achieved by the Club in the other sports on top of which is jujitsu, bow and arrow, and swimming,” he commented.

Al Kaabi pointed out that Al Ain Sports Games Club Company will be in charge of the women’s football team and that all the team’s matches and training sessions will be held at Tahnoon Bin Mohammed Stadium in Al Qattara.

He also underlined that the door would be open for all the society segments to join the newly set up teams.

He concluded his statement by saying: “The women’s first, U-12, U-14, and U-16 teams have already been formed. We, in Al Ain Club, are honored with this important step, which we hope will help the Club to clinch more titles in the name of the Club.”

Houriya Al Taheri, the Head Coach of the UAE National Women’s Team, said that the MoU signed with the Al Ain Club will be just the beginning of signing other MoUs with the local football clubs.

She stated: “This MoU is a charter for action through which the two parties seek to achieve long-lasting cooperation by unifying the goals they seek to achieve and develop.”

She also indicated that the terms of the MoU would be put into effect as soon as the joint programs are set up and initiated.
In her brief speech she delivered in the press conference, Fatima Al Ameri, the representative of the Fatima Bint Mubarak Academy, stated that the pronounced support of H.H. Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, the “Mother of the UAE”, and care given to the Emirati women triggers motivation to boost efforts to achieve more developments.

Al Ameri expressed her deep pleasure for concluding such an impressive partnership. “It represents a breakthrough for the clubs and allows the official participation in the women’s football league, as well as to compete to win local and international titles with sights always are set high to raise the UAE flag in all sports events.”

In his turn, Mr. Abdullah Hasan, UAEFA representative, said: “There is broad cooperation between the UAEFA and the Ministry of Education to further spread the women’s football in UAE.”

He also pointed out: “To achieve this goal, numerous workshops were held, and the UAEFA hosted certain competitions and training courses for women’s coaches, and the latest was held to obtain the “C” License.”

Abdullah Hassan underlined that the announcement of Al Ain Club, the home of football in the UAE, to establish a women’s football team is a significant quantum leap in this sport.

“Al Ain has always been the top Club in launching unparalleled initiatives and a new step that counts. We all wish the teams all the best, he stated.

Noteworthy, Al Ain Women’s Football Team is scheduled to play in the tournament that will kick off on November 2019. The team will start its training sessions as of the next week.