Bin Sulayem proud to be on prestigious board

Sultan Bin Sulayem, Chairman of Nakheel, has termed his appointment as a member of the Executive Board of the Environmental Institute for Golf (EIFG) as the next logical step for enhancing Dubai's sporting presence.

"I am proud to be invited to be a member of this prestigious institute as it gives Dubai yet another opportunity to be on the international stage," Bin Sulayem told the Gulf News after arriving here from a two-day official tour to Morocco yesterday.

Bin Sulayem was on Monday invited by golfing legend Greg Norman to join the executive board of the EIFG - the exclusive international body promoting environmentally sound golf courses.

The chairman of Nakheel is the only non-American to be on the executive board of this international body.

"This is an important and prestigious organisation. And being part of it is a matter of great pride for me and my country," Bin Sulayem noted. "I feel honoured. It's good for Dubai."

The announcement of Bin Sulayem's appointment to EIFG was made by Norman at a press conference on Monday.

Nakheel used the occasion to also announce the launch of Nakheel Golf, which is to immediately commence work on developing six golf courses located at various Nakheel projects in Dubai.

"At Nakheel, we are always trying to innovate and see how we can further the interests of Dubai. And I think the announcement of the development of the six golf courses with the support of a player like Greg Norman is a huge step in this direction," Bin Sulayem stated.

The chairman of Nakheel also stated that it is important for Dubai to get noticed more on the international sporting arena.

"It's very important to get noticed. And what we have announced is one of the aspects aimed to convey the message to the world," he said.

Though big strides have already been taken to promote Dubai at a completely new level, Bin Sulayem felt that a lot still needs to be done.

"We still have a lot of learning to go through from here. But we know we have some of the best people with us to get this job done," Bin Sulayem said.

"We definitely want to capitalise on the success we have achieved so far in this area. In addition, we want to add to the individual appeal we have," he stated further.

"We have a lot of plans and these will be announced at the right time," Bin Sulayem stated.