By Manal Abdel Fattah
Today, Saturday morning, Dr. Ashraf Sobhi, Minister of Youth and Sports, and Ambassador Maryam Al-Kaabi, UAE Ambassador to Egypt, launched the activities of the eighth edition of the Zayed Charity Marathon in the New Administrative Capital, which is implemented by the Ministry in cooperation with the United Arab Emirates, under the patronage of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Republic.
For her part, Ambassador Maryam Al Kaabi, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the Arab Republic of Egypt and Permanent Representative to the League of Arab States, appreciated the holding of the race this year in the New Administrative Capital, praising all those responsible for organizing this distinguished and huge race on both the Egyptian and Emirati sides.
The Ambassador affirmed that the relations between the United Arab Emirates and the sisterly Arab Republic of Egypt are close fraternal relations, the solid foundations of which were laid by the founding father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and sponsored by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, and his brother, President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi.
Ambassador Al Kaabi also pointed out that the Zayed Charity Race has become an occasion to highlight the distinguished position of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and the UAE in the hearts and minds of the brotherly Egyptian people, stressing that the previous seven sessions witnessed distinguished and large participation from all the Egyptian people, and witnessed great interest and keenness from All Egyptian authorities and officials worked to make this race a success, and those efforts culminated in the amazing success we see today in good organization, in addition to the generosity and warm reception of all the guests of the race.
The marathon witnessed a large turnout of young people, youth, and citizens, amounting to 31,000 participants, including 3,884 participants with disabilities (wheelchairs), and 906 of short stature. The proceeds from the marathon are allocated to the Misr Al Khair Foundation, the People’s Hospital, and some government hospitals.
The race route started from People’s Square in the New Administrative Capital, passing through the government district in the capital and back again, in the presence of Lieutenant General Mohammed Hilal Al Kaabi, Chairman of the Supreme Organizing Committee of the Zayed Charity Race, Engineer Khaled Abbas, President of the Administrative Capital Company, Obaid Al Balushi, Head of the Red Crescent Authority delegation, and Dr. Mohamed Rifai, CEO of the Misr El Kheir Foundation, and a group of leaders from the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
The organizing committee for the marathon has set many prizes this year for the participating entities, approaching 10 million pounds, divided into 5,000 prizes, and a raffle for Umrah trips for the contestants.
