HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein taking the
Olympic Oath following her election as an IOC
member.
Photo by Ammar Abd Rabbo

IOC President Jacques Rogge welcomes
HRH Princess Haya to the IOC membership.
Photo by Ammar Abd Rabbo

With Nawal El Moutawakel, Olympic Champion,
IOC Member in Morocco and the first ever Arab
woman on the IOC.
Photo by Ammar Abd Rabbo

Congratulations from FIFA President Sepp Blatter
Photo by Ammar Abd Rabbo

"On behalf of the Olympic Movement, I would like to congratulate HRH Princess Haya on her election and warmly welcome her to the IOC," IOC President Jacques Rogge declared. "I am convinced that the dedication to the Olympic ideal she has demonstrated as an Olympian and a President of a major International Federation will be a major asset for the further and better growth of our Movement."

HRH Princess Haya said: "It is the greatest honour to be elected as an IOC Member. Since the age of six I have followed the spirit of Olympism and dreamt of serving the Olympic Family. Now I have been honoured by the trust of the IOC through their election of me to their membership. I thank the IOC members for the trust they have placed in me. I shall work to return that trust and, with their support, to serve the Olympic Movement to the very best of my abilities."

Princess Haya is the third Arab woman ever to be elected and becomes the third currently serving as a Member of the IOC as well as the first ever to represent the United Arab Emirates in this prestigious international capacity.

Note to the editor:
Currently there are 115 IOC Members, 15 of whom are women. According to the Olympic Charter, "Members of the IOC represent and promote the interests of the IOC and of the Olympic Movement in their countries and in the organisations of the Olympic Movement in which they serve."

The FEI President HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein is one of the four persons nominated by the International Olympic Committee (IOC)'s Executive Board for election as IOC members. The IOC Session will vote upon these candidatures on 7 July 2007 during its annual meeting in Guatemala City.

The other nominees are Patrick Baumann (SUI), Secretary General of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), Andrés Botero (COL), President of the Columbian Olympic Committee, and Rita Subowo (INA), President of the Indonesian Olympic Committee.

Commenting on the decision, Jacques Rogge said: "these are four highly competent individuals who would undoubtedly make an excellent contribution to the IOC and its work around the world. The fact that half of the nominees are women, as was the case with the nominations made in 2006, reflects the IOC's desire to lead by example as regards our policy of increasing the number of women in sports organisations." The FEI is one of only two International Olympic Sports Federation out of a total of 34, 28 Summer and 6 Winter, to be chaired by a woman and this ever since 1986.

These elections will bring the number of IOC members to 115. The IOC members represent the IOC in their respective countries, and not their countries within the IOC. They are men and women who have competed in the Olympic Games, are captains of industry or representatives from the worlds of sport and business. They are all volunteers. IOC members meet once a year at a general assembly, or Session, the supreme body of the organisation. At these Sessions, the members take decisions concerning the institution and the Olympic Games, such as the choice of host cities of the Games, changes to the Olympic Charter, electing the IOC President, Vice-Presidents and Executive Board members, and co-opting new members.