H.M. King Felipe VI of Spain has bestowed the Commander of the Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic to Hoda Al Khamis-Kanoo, Founder of the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation, ADMAF, in recognition of her distinguished services to arts and culture, as well as the successful cultural exchange between the Kingdom of Spain and the UAE.

The award was presented by Jose Eugenio Salarich, Ambassador of Spain, in the presence of H.M. King Juan Carlos, father of the Spanish King, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, and other local dignitaries and family members.

On receiving the award, the ADMAF Founder said, "I wish to express my sincere thanks to King Felipe VI for this honour, and to H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Mother of the Nation, who has shown us the path of progress and continues to inspire the nation through the values of tolerance, openness and the advancement of women. I am also profoundly grateful to His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, who was our very first supporter on this remarkable cultural journey, to H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and to Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, esteemed Patron of Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation.

"Since the creation of ADMAF twenty years ago, we have aspired to nourish the cultural bonds between the UAE and other nations because creative dialogue allows us to breathe life into the ties that bind, be they industrial, economic, educational, scientific or cultural."

Mr. Salarich, said, "I congratulate Hoda Al Khamis-Kanoo. This is a great honour from His Majesty King Felipe VI of Spain and reflects the important friendship between the Kingdom of Spain and the UAE, which she has helped to foster through arts and culture."

The Order was created on 14th March, 1815, by King Ferdinand VII of Spain in honour of Queen Isabella I of Castile. It is a Spanish civil order granted in recognition of services that benefit the country. The Order was re-organised by Royal Decree on 26th July, 1847, as the modern ‘Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic’.

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