A new International Sports Innovation Conference will be held in Dubai on November 18th, organised by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award.

The theme for the conference will be ‘Tolerance and Peace in Sport’ and its least of speakers will reportedly include, among others, young athletes and prominent Olympic champions.

Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the MBR Award’s Board of Trustees confirmed the launch of the International Sports Innovation Conference.

He said: “The International Sports Innovation Conference is a new addition to Dubai’s sports calendar, launched by Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award in its 11th year, based on its role as a Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives for empowerment of communities.

“Sport plays a big role in spreading the message of tolerance and peace among people, and is also a means to strengthen relationships and the spirit of co-operation and co-existence between the different components of a community.”

“The MBR Creative Sports Award has, since its inception 11 years ago, always sought to inspire and encourage creativity and innovation in the sports sector in not just the UAE and the Arab world, but around the globe.”

In January, Liverpool superstar Mo Salah was the big winner at the MBR Creative Sports Award, collecting the gong for Oustanding Arab Athlete from Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, the Crown Prince of Dubai at the gala ceremony in Dubai.

Al Tayer continued: “The MBR Award was designed to promote noble values associated with sports and we have honoured champions who have contributed in this sphere. The Award has honoured not just athletes, coaches and sports administrators, but also institutions, who, through their creative initiatives, have helped spread the message of physical activity and of universal values of justice, integrity, equality and empowerment of women.

“Today, with the launch of the International Sports Innovation Conference we have added another dimension to the MBR Creative Sports Award and the focus of the inaugural edition of the conference will be tolerance and peace in sports.

“We have been careful in deciding the list of speakers for the Conference, choosing sports personalities who have always championed these value, not through mere words but in action. Many of these personalities will be participating in a sports conference in the Middle East for the first time.

“We have made sure that each of them represents a side that elucidates the objectives of the Award and its logo and helps us in achieving the noble objectives of organising this conference.”