Newbury, England: Abdul Rahman Ganem Al Mutaiwe’e, the UAE Ambassador to the United Kingdom, has saluted the ‘sports diplomacy’ initiated by the Al Maktoum family that has helped develop relations between the UAE and Great Britain.

Speaking at his office at Prince’s Gate in London ahead of the 33rd Dubai International Races in Newbury on Sunday, Al Mutaiwe’e said: “Sport in general and horseracing in particular are perfect ways to strengthen ties and links with foreign nations in places where most other means of communications do not work.

“Almost all cultures value sport, which makes it one of the best ways to catch people’s attention while they get entertained.

“Sport is not just about competition in which there are winners and losers, but it goes far beyond that, especially for diplomats who are operating in places where the public opinion often decides success or failure.

“The investment of UAE horse owners and breeders has provided a big boost to the racing industry in this country by creating around 18,000 jobs,” he added.

“The British government has also encouraged racecourses to stage Arabian horse races because it would attract more tourists and attention. The initiative came from us, but the government has backed and encouraged the scheme.

“They are wheels within wheels. When you host a horse race, or any other sports or business event, it brings people together and starts a dialogue.

“The UAE has always been one of the countries with which the UK has enjoyed cordial fraternal ties since the days of T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia). There are as many as 120,000 British citizens living permanently in the UAE, the third biggest British community abroad after USA and Spain.

“We need their presence and made it easy for them to be with us. They are part of our society. We speak their language and many of them are fluent in Arabic, so it became easier for us to communicate with them and understand each other,” the former business and banking expert told delegation members.

“Virtually all cultures have an appreciation for sport, which makes it one of the best methods to make the other listen to you while getting entertained.

“You can’t deny that the Al Maktoum family has made a significant contribution to British thoroughbred racing and the breeding industry. The majority of the Al Maktoums’ racing interests are based in the country and, apart from the indirect benefits, more than 2,000 families make their living through the sport.”

Al Mutaiwe’e also encouraged companies involved in the racing industry to help transform Dubai into a regional centre for manufacturing horse racing equipment and accessories.