Tuesday, Sep 15, 2015
Dubai: Dutch football legend Ruud Gullit is excited to be donning a different mantle as he lands in Dubai as host for The Maritime Standard Awards in the first half of November.
Gullit has accepted an invitation from the Dubai-based The Maritime Standard Awards to be the Master of Ceremony for the annual industry-backed gala scheduled on November 9. The event will be held at Atlantis The Palm.
Held under the patronage of Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates airline and Group, the annual awards assemble virtually a who’s who of the shipping and maritime industries in the Middle East and Indian subcontinent.
Gullit has expressed his excitement at making the trip to Dubai. “I am excited and eagerly looking forward to coming to this trip to Dubai,” Gullit said in an e-mail statement sent to Gulf News.
“It is a big night for one of the world’s key shipping hubs. I have been to Dubai before and I am aware that the UAE is one of the world’s fastest improving football hubs. I hope my visit can have a positive impact on the region,” he added.
“It is not every day that we get to see a great star like Gullit in Dubai. Not only will he bring a touch of glitz and glamour on the night, but he will also help us understand sport in a much better way due to his vast experience,” Trevor Pereira, Managing Director, Flagship Events, said.
“Gullit had always been an inspiration with his skills and high ethics on the field, and now over the years he has further evolved as an inspirational speaker through his vast repertoire of anecdotes linking sport to life,” he added.
Gullit capped an amazing playing career with a host of leading European clubs that included PSV Eindhoven, AC Milan, Sampdoria and Chelsea. He was an integral element of the Dutch national team that dominated in the 1980s and 1990s, with their best reward coming at the 1988 Uefa European Championships during which Gullit scored in a 2-0 win over the USSR in the final.
Run and organised by Dubai-based Flagship Events, The Maritime Standard Awards are aimed at recognising the achievements of organisations and individuals in the region’s shipping, ports and allied maritime sectors.
For more information, log on to www.tmsawards.com.
By Alaric Gomes Senior Reporter
Gulf News 2015. All rights reserved.
