"5/2/2006  

The General Assembly of the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) elected today HRH Princess ‎Haya Bint Al Hussein of Jordan as the 13th FEI President. The other contenders for the position ‎were HRH Princess Benedikte of Denmark and Freddy Serpieri (GRE).

The voting took place over two rounds; Princess Haya received 82 votes in the 2nd round.

‎“I promise to do everything in my power and to work tirelessly to serve the institution and the ‎people who have done me the honour of placing their trust and belief in me. Our beautiful, noble ‎sport is seeped in tradition, history and grace. I will do all I can to protect and advance it, in all its ‎forms,” HRH Princess Haya said. ‎

HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein (JOR) is the daughter of the late King Hussein of Jordan and wife ‎of HH General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai. She has been ‎riding internationally since the age of 13. In 1992 she won the individual bronze medal in Jumping ‎at the seventh Pan Arab Games and the following year she was elected Jordan’s athlete of the year. ‎After years of intensive training in Ireland and Germany, she qualified for and took part in the ‎Games of the XXVII Olympiad in Sydney in 2000 followed by a participation in the 2002 FEI World ‎Equestrian Games at Jerez de la Frontera. She has represented Jordan at the FEI General Assembly ‎on several occasions. HRH Princess Haya is member of the IOC Athletes and Culture and Olympic ‎Education Commissions and president and founder of the International Jordanian Athletes Cultural ‎Association. She is the first Arab and first woman to ever become Goodwill Ambassador for the ‎United Nations World Food Programme. ‎

HRH Princess Haya has been elected for a term of four years, i.e. until 2010." ‎