16th forum of UAE ambassadors and representative of missions concludes at Expo 2020 Dubai

The 16th forum of UAE ambassadors and representatives of missions abroad has concluded after five consecutive days, culminating in the final two days from March 24-25, 2022, held at the Museum of the Future and Expo 2020 Dubai.

Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) and a member of the Dubai Council, delivered a speech entitled "The Future of Cultural Horizons in the UAE," during which she underscored the importance of Expo 2020 Dubai as a beacon for cultural and knowledge exchange. Expo 2020 Dubai has encouraged countries of the world to share their cultures and latest capabilities, building bridges of communication and dialogue and fostering cooperation in many fields.

Her Highness added: "The UAE and its wise leadership have always believed in the importance of the cultural and creativity sector in enriching the lives of its people since the formation of the Union and in the important role that this sector plays in national, economic, and political growth. Global studies indicate the enormous potential of this sector, which is an integral part of the success of many other fields, making it an essential source of domestic production and a key player in promoting sustainable development.”
Moreover, Her Highness underscored that the UAE has worked extensively for decades to build strong and sustainable infrastructure, thereby enabling the creative economy to flourish. This included the construction of museums, as well as cultural and creative institutions, and the provision of a supportive environment for creators, with the aim of making the UAE a leading hub for creativity and innovation as well as an attractive destination for workers in this field.

"The government has paid great attention to these sectors, as with other economic sectors. Moreover, all institutions concerned with the cultural and creative industries sector in the country are working to implement UAE leaders’ vision by supporting strategies launched at the federal and local levels. One of these is the national strategy for cultural and creative industries in the UAE, which includes many criteria and aims, including doubling the contribution of the creative sector to the GDP to reach 5% by 2025,” Her Highness added.

Her Highness concluded: "In this changing year, the best solution is communication and cultural participation, which is the cornerstone for building bridges of communication between peoples. In this spirit, our role is to introduce our identity and culture to others and to export our culture abroad and share our successful model in tolerance and in creating the fabric of a diverse and coexisting society while continuing to preserve our culture, heritage, and authentic values as we look forward to progressing in all fields and achieving a bright future for the UAE without limits.”

In a speech entitled "Post-Expo 2020 Dubai," Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, thanked those participating in Expo 2020 Dubai and praised their notable efforts to make this global event a success. Moreover, she noted that the UAE has fulfilled its commitment by bringing 192 countries together to the first exhibition of its kind to be held in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia region. This achievement helped restore hope to the global community and renewed its commitment to the themes of the international event: Opportunity, Mobility, and Sustainability.

Speaking about the symbolic importance of Expo 2020 Dubai, Her Excellency said: “It symbolizes human solidarity and communication between people. But most importantly, the event is an acknowledgment of the fact that only through cooperation, strong communication, and the sharing of experiences, best practices, and information can we truly overcome global challenges.”

Her Excellency added: "With regards to post-Expo 2020 Dubai, the focus will be on technology and sustainability as we seek to attract industries related to climate and green technology. There is an interesting set of new sectors that have emerged that we hope to be able to benefit from by organizing this exhibition." 

Moreover, Her Excellency indicated that the number of visits to Expo 2020 Dubai has reached approximately 21 million. Visitors witnessed special events and programs and experienced and enjoyed everything the event has to offer, which brought together leaders of countries and governments, business professionals, and peoples of different cultures in this edition of the international Expo, considered a celebration of international cooperation.

Her Excellency concluded by saying: "Expo 2020 Dubai constituted a platform for the countries of the world and an opportunity for the leaders of the UAE to meet with the heads and officials of the participating countries to strengthen relations and inform other countries about the capabilities that the UAE enjoys in all fields, and that its success is an opportunity to strengthen and consolidate relations with all countries." 

Moreover, His Excellency Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy, affirmed in his speech, entitled “A Flexible Economy and Broader Partnerships” - moderated by His Excellency Mansoor Abulhoul, UAE Ambassador to the United Kingdom - that the UAE aims to double the size of the economy from AED 1.4 to 3 trillion by 2030, which requires new and unprecedented strategies for economic diversificationand capacity building in emerging economic sectors.

His Excellency indicated that this includes embracing the Fourth Industrial Revolution, integrating and employing advanced technologies to support the growth of the national economy, strengthening research and development capabilities, embracing future industries, inviting foreign direct investment to invest in new technological and digital sectors, attracting the brightest talents in the world, developing the capabilities of the business environment in the country, enhancing its competitiveness, and rebuilding economic and commercial partnerships.

For her part, Her Excellency Sarah bint Yousef Al Amiri, Minister of State for Advanced Technology, stressed in a speech on “Advanced Technology, Engine of Economic Development” that the UAE is proceeding with the directives of its leadership to transform the industrial sector into a major driver of growth, innovation, and sustainable economic diversification by utilizing advanced technology. This is in line with the UAE’s vision for the next 50 years by integrating industrial revolution solutions into industrial sectors as a crucial step in promoting a knowledge and innovation-based economy.

Her Excellency pointed out that there is close coordination and cooperation in the UAE, as advanced technology is an essential element in enhancing the country’s global competitiveness. Furthermore, she noted that the Ministry is consolidating the contribution of advanced technology to support strategic and priority industries that contribute to advancing the national economy, increasing GDP, increasing production and operational efficiency, improving product quality, providing qualitative career paths for the national workforce and opportunities for innovators and emerging companies, as well as stimulating research and development, attracting talent and foreign investments, and creating bridges between academia and the private sector.

The agenda of the forum also included a speech by His Excellency Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications and Deputy Managing Director of the Dubai Future Foundation. During a speech entitled "The Road to the Future," His Excellency reviewed the UAE's experience in the field of artificial intelligence and digital economy. His Excellency also highlighted a number of government initiatives and projects aimed at enhancing the use of advanced technology tools and artificial intelligence.

His Excellency stressed that the UAE Government is establishing an incubator environment for advanced technology, attracting minds and talents and enabling them to adopt their skills and experiences to participate in creating solutions and work mechanisms supported by artificial intelligence.

His Excellency said: "The UAE is distinguished by the fact that it hosts more than 200 nationalities from all over the world with different cultures and ethnicities. Therefore, the UAE is the most appropriate place to promote these modern technologies, empower human capital, and build capacities and people capable of keeping pace with digital development and employing modern technology in facing challenges and building a sustainable knowledge-based digital economy for the benefit of people and society.”

Furthermore, Her Excellency Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, delivered a speech entitled “Climate, Food, and the Emerging Challenges.” Her Excellency underscored that in facing challenges of global food systems, the UAE relied on applying climate-smart agricultural methods, harnessing innovation, and building partnerships. This trend was supported by an integrated system of strategies and initiatives, including the transition towards a green economy, the adoption of a circular economy policy, the UAE Energy Strategy that supports energy transformation, and the launch of the Agricultural Innovation Initiative for Climate. This integrated system enhances investment and entrepreneurship opportunities in all fields through environmentally friendly and climate-smart mechanisms.

Her Excellency said: "The UAE was the first country in the region to ratify the Paris Agreement. It is also home to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and Masdar City in Abu Dhabi. We were the first country in the Middle East to announce the Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative.”

On the biodiversity front, Her Excellency said that the UAE has designated 49 protected areas that account for 15.5% of the country’s territory and ranks number one in the “Marine Nature Reserves” criterion in the “Environmental Sustainability Index,” a global indicator that measures the progress of countries in this field. This comes in addition to the important successes the UAE has achieved in the field of preserving, multiplying, and releasing endangered species in their natural environments.

Their Excellencies toured the Museum of the Future, during which they were briefed on features of the museum, which is known as a scientific and intellectual center and the largest platform in the region for research, forecasting, and design of the future. 

On the final day of the forum, they also toured Expo 2020 Dubai pavilions, where they were briefed on the culture and heritage of participating countries.