Date: 2025-07-20 16:01:00
Location:
Speaker:
Source URL: View original on the Ismaili
Source: Ismaili website
Full Text
I would like to begin by expressing my heartfelt thanks to His Highness Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and to His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council and President of the UAE National Olympic Committee; to the city of Dubai; and to the government of the United Arab Emirates for the warm welcome they have extended to our Jamat.
That His Highness Sheikh Nahayan and His Highness Sheikh Mansoor were also part of our celebrations during the Jubilee Games in 2016 highlights the continuity of our relationship and friendship with the UAE. We greatly appreciate this partnership, which is based on shared values and objectives.
I truly wish I could be there to enjoy the Festival with you all in person, and I am grateful to my uncle, Prince Amyn, and to my brother, Prince Aly Muhammad, for being present on my behalf at the Opening Ceremony, and to my brother Prince Hussain who will join you later this week.
I am conscious that mine is not the only absence from the Festival. I want to say that we are thinking very much of all of you who can not be here, for whatever reason, and who Insha’Allah, are joining us remotely with your families and Jamats, wherever possible. Of course, I want every gathering of our Jamat to be as inclusive as possible. Being with each other in person is fundamental to the health of our community. Even if sometimes difficult or costly, events like this give us a space to celebrate our diversity, to share our different experiences, and to make new connections and friends.
But Global Encounters is more than just a gathering, it is also an amazing showcase of talent. This year promises to be another incredible spectacle – we are going to get a chance to see some of the greatest artists and athletes in our community.
As the lineup shows, we can be deeply proud of the talent within our Jamat. We are good at celebrating our business, government, and thought leaders, but perhaps we are not always as quick to celebrate our athletes and artists, even though we have plenty of bright stars. Think of Rafiq Bhatia, recently Oscar-nominated for his film score work, or mountaineers like Sirbaz Khan and Samina Baig, both of whom have achieved world firsts in their field.
It is only right that we celebrate these people and their accomplishments. To fulfil our potential as creatives or athletes is to realise a blessing. Sport and the arts are not only beautiful, they have a unique power to build bridges. Strangers who might not speak each other’s language can still come together to enjoy the same game of cricket or football and feel exactly the same passions. The poetry of great basketball, or volleyball, or wrestling is identical, whatever land you are from. And people who have different perspectives on almost everything can still fall under the same spell when they hear great music or see a beautiful piece of art. This is why many people have called art “the universal language”. And this is what Nelson Mandela meant when he said that sport “has the power to unite people in a way that little else does.”
So, as you compete, do so with ambition, with integrity, humility and compassion, but most importantly, do so in the knowledge that you are sisters and brothers – members of one Jamat that has remained united over centuries. Let us cherish this unity, which has brought us so far and seen us through every challenge with courage and conviction.
Finally, I would like to say a few more heartfelt thanks: to the thousands of volunteers who have sacrificed their time and efforts to bring this event to life; to the many donors whose generosity has enabled so many to participate regardless of means, and to the Council and Jamat of the UAE for hosting our global Jamat.
To the parents, families, and communities who have supported our athletes, our artists, our performers, and musicians, here and at home, I convey my warmest Mubarak.
I pray that each of you experiences the blessing of joy and happiness as you come together to celebrate art, culture, sport, and human potential, and that you leave with deeper understanding, hope and confidence in yourselves, in each other, and in our Jamat.
Now I wish you all a wonderful Festival and all the very best.