Latifa Bint Mohammed Visits Maiden At Port Rashid Ahead Of Its World Voyage

DUBAI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 08th Dec, 2021) H.H. Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), visited the iconic racing yacht Maiden at Port Rashid ahead of its world tour that is aimed at empowering women and girls through education.

During her visit, accompanied by Abdulla Bin Damithan, CEO & Managing Director DP World UAE & Jafza, H.H. Sheikha Latifa, who is the ‘Patron of Hope’ for the Maiden voyage, held a discussion with students from Al Mawakeb school on the future of girls’ education and the key role youth play in shaping the future of the UAE. As part of the session, one of the students also shared a message of hope and empowerment.

Following the session, H.H. Sheikha Latifa and the students took a tour of the Maiden yacht, where they met with the crew and were briefed about Maiden’s mission and its impact on the world.

During its upcoming world voyage, Maiden, which is being sponsored by DP World, will sail with an all-female crew, calling at ports to inspire and encourage girls and young women to participate in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) subjects, particularly equipping them for careers in transport and logistics.

Education and Women are two of the legacy areas of DP World’s "Our World, Our Future" sustainability strategy, which aims to create a better, more equitable world. The departure from Dubai in the coming weeks will be a return to the sea for Maiden after her world voyage was halted by the pandemic. Maiden had sailed more than 33,000 nautical miles, visiting more than 23 destinations in 12 countries.

Maiden became famous when she took part in the 1989-1990 Whitbread Round the World Race with the first all-female crew ever to attempt a circumnavigation.

Captained by Tracy Edwards MBE, she confounded sceptics to come second overall in her class, the best British result since 1977 and unbeaten to this day. After the race, Maiden was sold and disappeared. Tracy Edwards found the boat, by then dilapidated, in 2014 in the Seychelles. Maiden was restored and relaunched to tour the world inspiring girls and young women.

"We are pleased to be part of this historic event with The Maiden Factor in Dubai’s iconic Port Rashid – a place which is a beacon of hope and a contributor in redefining Dubai’s role as a regional hub for trade, maritime and logistics. We hope that together, we will be able to make a meaningful difference and reach out to young women to instill the confidence they need to allow them to advance in the fields of STEAM, opening doors for them to explore new frontiers that will shape their lives and careers," said Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Chairman and CEO of DP World.

Tracy Edwards MBE said, "We are delighted to be joining forces with DP World to resume Maiden’s world tour. Maiden is a Global Ambassador for the empowerment of girls through education and there a strong synergy between our mission and goals and those of DP World.  Working together we will continue to raise funds and awareness for the right of every girl to 12 years of quality education. Encouraging girls into STEAM subjects gives them access to greater career opportunities and life choices.'' Port Rashid opened in 1972 and has played an instrumental role in Dubai’s development as an international centre for trade and commerce. A decade later, Port Rashid’s expanded operations and deployment of cutting-edge technologies has positioned it as a major world port hub, connecting the emirate to the rest of the globe.