Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior met today, in his office, the President and members of the UAE Balloon Team, winner of the 28th Poland International Hot Air Balloon Festival. The event was sponsored by the Abu Dhabi Police General Headquarters, as part of the team’s participation in international championships and races.
During the meeting, His Highness was briefed on the Balloon Team’s achievements and future plans, as well as the preparations for the 6th UAE Balloon Championship next December 2012.
His Highness lauded the great success accomplished by the team members and their global international achievements, which embody the keenness of their Highnesses, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to provide all means of success to secure their citizens’ achievements on the local and international levels.
Moreover, His Highness lauded the substantial support of Lt. General, H.H Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, to establish the UAE Balloon Team, to compete alongside the most advanced countries in the world in this pioneering sporting field.
For his part, Captain Abdul Aziz Al Mansouri, Pilot of UAE Balloon, expressed his thanks for the support shown by His Highness, Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to the UAE Balloon Team. He lauded the Higher Leadership’s keenness to communicate with its citizens and motivate them to achieve further excellence in the service of their country and community. He added that this support allowed the team to achieve first place, outperforming his European rivals.
Al Mansouri indicated that the 6th UAE Balloon Championship taking place in December will feature an international participation, including the United States of America, Germany, Italy and Belgium.
He noted that this festival, the first of its kind in the Middle East, embodies the Higher Leadership's keenness to involve all citizens in the development work and progress taking place in the State, in order to make it known on the local and international levels.
Mounira Abdullah Sofr, Director of the UAE Women's Balloon Championship, stated that this year’s festival will feature the 1st UAE Women's Balloon Championship, with a wide international participation in the first tournament of its kind in the region, to introduce women’s role in nation-building.
At the end of the meeting, the President of the UAE balloon Club, presented the Khalifa Balloon shield to His Highness, Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, in recognition of his substantial and continued support for the UAE Balloon Team.
It is noteworthy that the UAE Balloon Team has flown ten hot air balloons, emblazoned with the portraits of: late Sheikh Zayed bin S