The countdown for one of the biggest sporting events to ever hit the UAE is gathering pace - after Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed made a royal appointment with organisers of the Special Olympics.
The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces welcomed members of the Host Town committees of the Special Olympics for a Sea Palace Barza.
The Host Town teams have been providing tours of the UAE to athletes from some of the 192 countries taking part in the huge event, which will be taking over Abu Dhabi from March 14 to March 21.
The Special Olympics is the world’s largest humanitarian sporting event and aims to empower people with disabilities, who are officially referred to as People of Determination in the UAE.
More than 7,500 athletes will be showcasing their skills in a wide variety of sporting pursuits during the hotly-anticipated event, which is being held in the Middle East for the first time.
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed has been putting his Olympic support on full display this week, during a meeting with Pakistan's prime minister, Imran Khan.
Both were pictured on Sunday proudly showing off red wrist bands baring the slogan 'meet the determined' during talks in Islamabad.
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