DUBAI, April 30 - HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, wife of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has extended Her patronage to the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters for another two years, reaffirming Her support of the premier women's golfing event in the region.

Promoted and organised by 'golf in DUBAi', the euro 500,000 (Dh 2.45 million) Ladies European Tour's season-ending event has grown in stature and popularity since its inception in 2006, showcasing the talent of the world's leading players in what is billed as the 'Ladies Major of the Middle East.'

HRH Princess Haya's kind gesture of extending Her patronage to the 2012 and 2013 Omega Dubai Ladies Masters is a fitting recognition to the role played by the event in promoting women's golf in the region and is part of a long-term Dubai goal to become a solid foothold for sports in the world.

"It is indeed a great honour and privilege for all of us at golf in DUBAi to have HRH Princess Haya extend Her patronage to the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters," said Mohamed Juma Buamaim, Vice Chairman and CEO of golf in DUBAi.

"A former Olympic athlete, humanitarian, member of the International Olympic Committee, UN Messenger of Peace and President of the International Equestrian Federation, HRH Princess Haya is a woman of substance who has inspired many people with Her strong values and forceful conviction."

"Her patronage has certainly raised the profile of our event and we will strive and do everything possible to raise the bar for future events befitting Dubai's image as the region's sporting capital. Every international sporting event hosted in Dubai has its own appeal and aura, reflecting on the Emirate's dynamic and innovative sporting culture," he added.

The 2011 Omega Dubai Ladies Masters, the first event to be held under patronage, generated tremendous media coverage around the world. The independent facts provided by the Ladies European Tour show the event, won by US teenage prodigy Alexis Thompson, generated international media exposure worth Dhs 383 million via 380 broadcasts.

'golf in DUBAi' is backed by Omega as the title sponsor and Dubal (Dubai Aluminium) as the sponsor. The co-sponsors are: CNN, Emirates NBD, Gulf News, Jumeirah, Mercedes-Benz and wasl while Dubai Duty Free, Carpetland and Motivate are the Patrons in golf in DUBAi's drive to showcase the emirate's vibrant golfing scene to a worldwide audience.

OMEGA DUBAI LADIES MASTERS FACT-FILE

Name: Omega Dubai Ladies Masters
Venue: Emirates Golf Club
Tour: Ladies European Tour
Inaugural event: 2006
Promoters and organizers: 'golf in DUBAi'
Prize-money: Euro 500,000
Winner's purse: Euro 75,000
Defending champion: Alexis Thompson of US
Past winners: Annika Sorenstam of Sweden (2006, 2007), Anja Monke of Germany (2008), In-Kyung Kim of South Korea (2009) and Iben Tinning of Denmark (2010).

About 'golf in DUBAi'

Created in 2005 to promote Dubai as one of the world's leading golfing destinations and to underline Dubai's other international attractions to a worldwide audience, golf in DUBAi promotes and organizes major European Tour events - Omega Dubai Desert Classic and Omega Dubai Ladies Masters. It operates under the umbrella of the Dubai Investment Corporation

Set up the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Foundation in 2006 to encourage and promote emerging Arab talent on the world stage.

Launched the MENA Golf Tour in 2011, as part of the Sheikh Maktoum Golf Foundation initiative, to provide a much-needed springboard for both amateurs and professional to take their game to a new level. The Tour seeks to create new windows of playing opportunities for all MENA national professionals and amateurs for the overall development of golf in the region.

Launched GOLF CITIZEN, a worldwide golf reservation website, in 2011. Developed and programmed from the ground up, the site (www.golfcitizen.com) gives any golf club in the world an instant online presence. GOLF CITIZEN's fast-expanding network includes major courses in the UAE, Thailand and Vietnam. Instant tee time bookings, immediate confirmations and up-to-the-minute availability are some of the main features of this one-stop-shop for tee times.