Seattle: Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation and Chairman and CEO of Emirates airline and Group, was conferred with honorary citizenship of the state of Washington in the US on Friday.
The announcement came during a gala dinner hosted by the airline at the Seattle Convention Centre to celebrate the launch of their non-stop daily flights between Dubai and Seattle.
Only a day earlier, Shaikh Ahmad had said that he was "delighted" to return to one of his favourite cities at a reception on the arrival of the inaugural flight. The state Governor, Christine Gregoire, named the flight's arrival date (March 1) ‘Emirates Day' in the state.
The announcement of the honour for Shaikh Ahmad came on a day of mega celebrations for the airline. Sir Tom Jones, the legendary soul singer, regaled the audience with several of his timeless hits like Falling in Love and Delilah at the Emirates gala.
Service to aid trade, tourism
Earlier in his welcome speech to the invitees, Shaikh Ahmad said: "Emirates is proud to provide the first non-stop service from Seattle to the Middle East. A link that connects area businesses with key markets around the world and would support trade and tourism in both regions."
