Staff Reporter, Gulf Today

Emirates has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Seychelles Tourism Board at Expo 2020, reaffirming its commitment to the island nation and outlining joint initiatives to promote trade and tourism to the country.

The MoU was signed by Ahmed Khoory, Emirates’ SVP Commercial West Asia & Indian Ocean, and Sherin Francis, Principal Secretary Tourism Department, Tourism Seychelles, in the presence of Sylvestre Radegonde, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism and Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer.

The ceremony was also attended by Emirates executives including Orhan Abbas, SVP Commercial Operations Far East; Abdulla Al Olama, Regional Manager Commercial Operations Far East, West Asia & Indian Ocean; Oomar Ramtoola, Manager Indian Ocean Islands; Silvy Sebastian, Business Analysis Manager West Asia & Indian Ocean; and executives of Tourism Seychelles: Bernadette Willemin, Director-General Destination Marketing Tourism Seychelles; and Noor Al Geziry, Tourism Seychelles Middle East Office.

Khoory said, “Emirates has shared strong ties with Seychelles since 2005 and the island nation remains a very important market for us. The agreement signed today is a strong testament to our commitment and support to the island nation. We thank our partners for their ongoing support and we look forward to continuing to grow our successful partnership.”

Radegonde said, “Emirates airline has been constant and steadfast with their support towards Seychelles and we are indeed grateful for that. Therefore, we would like to express our support for the coming year with the hope that it will be a better year for both Seychelles and the airline.”

The agreement outlines mutually beneficial activities to boost trade and tourism to the country, including trade shows, trade familiarisation trips, exhibitions, and workshops.

Emirates launched operations to Seychelles in 2005 and the airline currently operates daily flights to the island-nation, utilising its wide-body Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.

Emirates was the first international airline to resume passenger services to Seychelles in August 2020, coinciding with  Their Majesties King Willem-Alexander and Queen M?xima will attend the official opening of the Netherlands Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai during the country’s national day on 3rd November 2021. The official ceremony of the national day will take place at Al Wasl Plaza.

Meanwhile, King Alexander and Queen Maxima will be accompanied by Minister of Foreign Trade and Development, Tom de Bruijn, who will be simultaneously leading a trade mission to the UAE, focusing on sustainable urban development.

Nearly 50 Dutch companies from the water, sustainable energy, food, urban development and logistics sectors are participating in the trade mission. “I’m pleased that so many Dutch entrepreneurs see opportunities for growth here,” De Bruijn said. “There’s great demand in the UAE and Gulf region for sustainable solutions in these sectors. For instance, ways to grow crops using less water. Our companies have a lot to offer. Expo 2020 Dubai and the Netherlands Pavilion offers them a fantastic podium to showcase themselves to the Gulf region and the rest of the world. The Netherlands Government is keen to help them capitalize on this opportunity.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs mandated the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) to organise the trade mission. Ingrid Thijssen, President of the Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers (VNO-NCW), is the lead business representative.

The mission is part of a broader six-month programme at the Netherlands Pavilion during Expo 2020 Dubai. It includes a number of weeks centered around specific themes, during which Dutch businesses and other organisations in the highlighted sectors can grow their networks connect with partners in the Gulf region and beyond.

Themes include water, energy, food security, climate and healthcare.

In preparation of the Trade Mission and on the occasion of celebrating the National Day, the Netherlands Pavilion will be closed for Expo visitors on the 2nd and 3rd of November.

Wellness as a lifestyle habit influencing relations in both social and work environment was discussed on Friday at the Italy Pavilion’s Amphitheatre at Expo 2020 Dubai during the third Innovation Talk.

Italy is an advocate of wellness, intended as a way of living that includes sport, diet, exercising, leisure, mindufullness and travel. Reflecting on the different aspects of wellbeing as a way of living, on the importance of sport and on how the sport industry is addressing new trends, the speakers presented current challenges and solutions in wellness.

Titled “The Italian Wellness: re-considering life habits of global population”, and organised by the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) in cooperation with the Embassy of Italy in the UAE, the Consulate General in Dubai and the Italian Commissioner’s Office of the Italy Pavilion, the Innovation Talk was the third appointment of a series of roundtable discussions taking place until March 2022, which will address current global challenges and explore innovative solutions.

The forum was officially opened by Paolo Glisenti, Commisioner General Italy’s Pavilion, and by Amedeo Scarpa, Italian Trade Commissioner to the UAE, and was followed by a discussion on sport and wellbeing where Alessia Mariotti, Bologna Universtity, member of UNESCO/UNITWIN; Vito Cozzoli, CEO Sport and Salute; and Anna Ferrino, President of Assosport (Association of Italian sporting goods industry) shared their different points of views on the topic.

Illustrating the many dimensions of wellness, with a focus on social and environmental wellbeing, and on how industry and public sector have to work together to educate the population towards putting wellbeing at the centre, Alessia Mariotti, Bologna Universtity, member of UNESCO/UNITWIN, said: “Sports tourism is a growing sector that is strongly linked to the dimensions of well-being perceived by people;  it is a sector in which it could be useful to invest in the future within a perspective of integrated development of the territories with the contribution of both research and the public sector as well as industry and civil society.  These are the dimensions that contribute to building social well-being.”

The concept of sport has changed in the recent years and has now became a fundamental asset of daily social life; only recently sport has gained its major role not only in the lives of the individulas, but it also has an underlying role in the economy and progress of a country.

Discussing about the link between sport and health and launching a new incubator of innovative sport startups based in Rome, Vito Cozzoli, CEO Sport and Salute, the Italian state company promoting sport, quality of life and correct lifestyle, said “Sport is not only fun, is not only an hobby, sport is a dimension of life, it could be a crucial driver for quality of life”.

Talking about Italian sport industry, a market dominated by SMEs with a total value of 11bln euros, and its future trends, Anna Ferrino, President of Assosport (Association of Italian sporting goods industry), said: “Digitalization and sustainability are the main challenges that the Italian sport industry is facing, but Fashion contamination is also a big trend right now.

After the global pandemic, there is a clear consciousness about the importance of wellbeing and there is a much more casual lifestyle. We see more and more fashion companies collaborating with sport brands to offer their consumers more sportive products.”

Nicola Lener, Ambassador of Italy to the UAE, closed the panel discussion enphasizing on the connection between wellness and quality of life and putting the spotligh on how much technology and innovation are shaping and changing our lives in all the sectors – including sport, nutrition, food supplements, sportwear – and how they are contributing to face the global challenges.

The Innovation Talks are the continuation of “InnovItalyUAE” an initiative launched by The Embassy of Italy in the UAE aimed at improving the opportunities for bilateral cooperation between Italy and the United Arab Emirate.