Global honour for Princess Haya

Princess Haya bint Al Hussein, wife of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has been honoured for her contribution to the field of sport. Princess Haya received the Steiger Award at a gala dinner at Bochum's Centennial Hall in Germany on Saturday evening. The Steiger Award is named after "Der Steiger" (the miner) and symbolises traits that are associated with miners in the North Rhine-Westphalia region of Germany – straightforward, open, honest, fair and tolerant. It also stands for reliability, loyalty and co-operation in good times and in bad. The award is given annually to personalities who are recognised for their work in the fields of music, sport, media, environment and film. A former Olympic athlete, Princess Haya was presented the Steiger Award for her various roles in the field of sport, including her work as President of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), as a member of the International Olympic Committee and most recently, as President of the Dubai Organising Committee for SportAccord Convention 2010. Her experience with sport also influences her humanitarian efforts and her work as a UN Messenger of Peace. Princess Haya is motivated by the belief that sport improves lives, empowers women, and breaks down barriers between people and nations. She has worked closely with the UN's Sport for Development and Peace programme to use sport to improve the lives of refugees and impoverished youths. "The virtues of the Der Steiger are the same values that we cherish in sports. The only thing that matters in sport is your performance. And a winning performance isn't measured just by medal counts. It is measured by behaviour," stated Princess Haya upon receiving the award. "The equality of competition can be particularly empowering for women and young girls. For far too many of them, sport is the one opportunity they have to break free from societal norms that stifle their creativity, their passion and their dreams." Other Steiger Award winners included the British actor Sir Christopher Lee, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award.