His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, received visiting French President, Emmanuel Macron, at Expo 2020 Dubai on Friday.

Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed welcomed the French President’s visit to the UAE, expressing his happiness at the renewed meeting with the president, which confirmed the keenness to continue consultation and coordination between the two friendly countries. Sheikh Mohamed conveyed the greetings of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to President Macron, wishing him health and happiness and his country further progress and prosperity.

The French President congratulated Sheikh Mohamed and the UAE government and people on the occasion of the country’s celebrations of its Golden Jubilee, wishing the country continued progress and prosperity. He expressed his country’s aspiration to new and promising horizons of cooperation and joint action that serve the interests of both countries and supports peace efforts in the region.

The two leaders discussed the friendly relations, joint cooperation and development opportunities in various fields under the strategic partnership that brings the two countries together, especially in the investment and economic aspects, advanced technology, energy and food security, in addition to the cultural, educational and other fields to achieve their mutual interests.

During the meeting, the two sides reviewed various issues and topics of common interest and developments in the regional and international arenas and exchanged views on current developments in the Middle East region.

In this context, the two sides affirmed their joint determination to strengthen the various aspects of the strategic partnership between the UAE and France, and the convergence of visions on the importance of supporting peaceful solutions and initiatives. It was aimed to consolidate the pillars of security and stability in the region to achieve the aspirations of its people for peace and development.

Attending the meeting were Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Sheikh Khaled Bin Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Member of Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Office, Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Hamad Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Airports.

Special Olympics UAE and Expo 2020 sign deal: Special Olympics UAE and Expo 2020 Dubai signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Friday to encourage participation in sports among people of determination with intellectual or developmental disabilities by facilitating the ongoing use of the mega-event’s Sports, Fitness and Wellbeing Hub.

Through the cooperation, people of determination will be able to experience the 5,400 sqm space with a wide range of sports activities, such as guided bicycle tours to take them around 192 Country Pavilions, a global fitness stage offering a range of instructor-led classes, a multi-purpose sports court and a gym and fitness studio.  

In addition, a Special Olympics UAE Unified Arts project called ‘Flowers of Hope’, the first public artwork crafted in direct collaboration with artists who are people of determination in the region, will go on display at Mission Possible – The Opportunity Pavilion from December until March 31, 2022.

‘Flowers of Hope’ is made up of seven flowers representing the seven Emirates. The flowers are created from decorated palm fronds painted by 58 artists and their families, and held in place by metal bases, crafted by renowned Emirati artist and designer, Azza Al Quabiasi.

The agreement was signed at the Sports, Fitness and Wellbeing Hub by Talal Al Hashemi, National Director of Special Olympics UAE, and Mohammed Alhashmi, Chief Technology Officer, Expo 2020 Dubai. Four Special Olympics UAE Athletes were also in attendance.

Talal Al Hashemi said: “Expo 2020 Dubai has positioned itself as the most inclusive Expo in history and today we are reminded of why it is delivering on this promise. Expo 20 20 Dubai is quickly becoming a global platform to operationalise inclusion, in sports and in life, and to make sure that people of determination are empowered as we connect minds and create the future. We are delighted with this partnership which will bring to life unified sports events concepts that serve our respective objectives.”

Mohammed Alhashmi said: “From the outset of our planning for Expo 2020 Dubai we were determined that our event could be accessed by anyone who wished to come and take part in the making of a new world. Today marks another milestone in this commitment to that inclusivity and our belief in sport as a uniting force. We have already had more than 4.7 million visits in our first two months; with today’s announcement we hope to encourage many more members of our wonderfully diverse community to come and experience Expo 2020.”

Special Olympics UAE will work alongside Expo 2020 Dubai to develop a calendar with different activities and training programmes for children and adults of all abilities. The agreement between Special Olympics UAE and Expo 2020 Dubai will support the physical and emotional wellbeing of people of determination, contribute to their social integration, development of communication and teamwork skills, and build their confidence.