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Abu Dhabi: UAE rallying legend Mohammad Bin Sulayem has said that sport can play an important role in helping to protect and preserve the national identity of Emiratis.
The 14-time Middle East rally champion said success in sport builds national pride, and he called for a major team effort to create more UAE champions and involve more young Emiratis in the country's sports event infrastructure.
Bin Sulayem, President of the Automobile and Touring Club for the UAE, told the conference: "When a UAE driver wins a rally; when our football team wins the Gulf Cup; when an Emirati wins a gold medal for shooting at the Olympics; we inspire our young. We make them proud to be Emiratis, proud of their national identity, eager to embrace it, to aim for success in sport ... and to become tomorrow's champions."
He added when Esmail Mattar scored the goal to give the UAE the Gulf Cup for the first time last year, there was an outpouring of joy and pride throughout the Emirates. "I believe sport can play an important part in making sure that our national identity is carried forward by future generations of young Emiratis."
Bin Sulayem said that we can never do too much to encourage the youth of the UAE in sport. "Sport has helped put the UAE on the map ... It has as a huge global audience."
"When Abu Dhabi stages its F1 Grand Prix next year, this is a fantastic sporting occasion for the whole of the UAE. We have a great opportunity to show the rest of the world what the UAE is all about, an opportunity to make this an event like no other F1 race."
"I'm on the advisory board for the event, and I'd like to see the Ministry of Culture work with us to build a special programme around the race to promote our national identity ... and to involve young Emiratis in the planning, preparation and execution of the Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix," he said.
Heritage collectors
Heritage collectors and specialists stressed that documenting heritage is another key to preserve national identity.
Dr Nasser Al Himyari from Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage, spoke about the necessity of coordinating efforts to collect and study material. "Many parts of national history and heritage have not been documented and we are afraid to lose them because they are still in the memory of elderly people."
Abdul Aziz Al Musallam, Director of the Heritage department in Sharjah, considered all types of heritage; arts, crafts, folklore to be 'empowering elements for the national identity.'
Dr Rashid Bukhash, Director of the Heritage Building Department at Dubai Municipality said, "Every week a historical building is being demolished to build modern style buildings." He added, "There is no official statistics for the total number of historical building in the UAE. As a researcher I calculated them at 2,500 buildings all over the country, and only 250 have been repaired." He stressed that issuing a law to protect such buildings will help retain history and open the door towards placing it on the international heritage list.
- By Eman Mohammed, Abu Dhabi Deputy Editor
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