UAE EMBASSY IN PARIS LAUNCHES NEW EVENT SERIES TO DEEPEN UAE-FRANCE TIES PARIS

Her Excellency Hend Al Otaiba, UAE Ambassador to France, launched Majlon, a new series of events by the UAE Embassy in Paris, with a first edition focused on “Entrepreneurship & Innovation” held at the Automobile Club de France. By addressing key issues of mutual interest such as culture, security, and business, Majlon aims to further deepen French-Emirati ties.

The name Majlon is derived from the combination of the Emirati Majlis and the Parisian networking circles known as Salons.

This inaugural event convened Roxanne Varza, Director of Station F, France’s leading start-up campus, and Jida Itani, Chief Operating Officer of Hub71, Abu Dhabi’s global tech ecosystem, in a conversation focused on both markets’ innovation landscapes. In December 2021, the UAE and France signed a 10-year bilateral investment roadmap, a framework which aims to open doors to new business synergies between investors and entrepreneurs in both countries.

“Delivering on French-Emirati synergies is a key component of my mandate.” said Her Excellency Hend Al Otaiba. “There are many areas in which our historically strong partnership can and should be enhanced.

Entrepreneurship is one of these priorities, and we are delighted to welcome Roxanne and Jida, two female business leaders, for this first edition. Looking ahead, Majlon will seek to highlight areas of existing and potential collaboration, through which we will further develop our unique bilateral relationship.” she added.

Roxanne Varza, Director of Station F, said: "This first edition of Majlon was an excellent opportunity to exchange on the links between our two start-up ecosystems and the opportunities for start-ups in our two countries. I am delighted to have been able to participate alongside Her Excellency Al Otaiba and the Hub71 team." Jida Itani, COO of Hub71 said: “The similarities between the French and Abu Dhabi tech ecosystems are vast as both aim to create a thriving innovation community, anchored in helping founders fulfil their ambitions. Through our partner-centric approach, we look forward to collaborating with French startups primed for further growth and facilitating knowledge and resource exchange that can deepen tech talent who are addressing the world's biggest challenges."

Through Majlon, the UAE Embassy in Paris is delivering on its mandate of furthering French-Emirati relations as part of the UAE-France Strategic Dialogue. France is one of the UAE’s key strategic partners, with areas of collaboration spanning a wide range of sectors including education (Sorbonne Abu Dhabi), culture (Louvre Abu Dhabi), defense (Rafale), and energy (Masdar/Engie)