Dubai, UAE – President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and First Lady Fazna Ahmed attended the Expo 2020 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) today.
The President delivered remarks at the official ceremony held at Expo 2020 to mark the National Day of the Maldives.
During his speech, the President explained the ‘Dhoni’ concept which the Maldives opted to use to commemorate the Maldives’ ‘Honour Day’ at the expo, since 99 per cent of the island nation comprises the ocean, and the Dhoni had become an integral part of our identity and way of life. The President stated that the Maldives utilised the Maldives Pavilion and the opportunities offered by the Expo to exhibit the Maldives, its natural beauty, heritage and culture, while also underscoring the challenges faced by the Maldives as a small island state.
Furthermore, he highlighted the critical role that expos such as the Expo 2020 play in attracting key stakeholders including policymakers and industry professionals, as well as academics and civil society activists. He noted that lasting development relationships are built via people-to-people contact and that the objective for participation in the Dubai Expo was to explore new solutions to overlapping global challenges, as had been done many times before.
In his speech, President Solih stated that we must strive to maximise the potential of the ongoing Expo 2020 in Dubai by letting our actions speak louder than words at the worldwide gathering to solve current global challenges ranging from food insecurity to financial crashes. He underlined the need to ramp up combined efforts to pool resources to lift each other as the world works towards a greener, more resilient and more sustainable future in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
President Solih emphasised the bilateral relationship between Maldives and UAE, stating that UAE had always been a significant development partner and a close friend of the Maldives. He also stated that both nations have often come together on common positions in the international arena and expressed his hope that both countries would continue to foster those ties. Speaking in this regard, he also stated that the Maldives looks forward to further deepening the partnership with UAE and other nations in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Middle East Strategic Alliance (MESA) region.
Upon arrival, they were received by H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Cabinet Member and Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, and Commissioner General of Expo 2020 Dubai.
