Shaikh Mohammad left Dakar after attending OIC

Dakar: After attending the opening session of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), in Dakar, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai and his accompanying delegation left Senegal' s capital city Dakar.

Shaikh Mohammad was seen off at Dakar airport by Karim Wade, Advisor to the Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade, and a number of Senegalese Ministers and senior officials.

Hadef Bin Jouan Al-Dhaheri, UAE Minister of Justice took over the chairmanship of the UAE delegation from Shaikh Mohammad, upon his departure.

Earlier and in the presence of Shaikh Mohammad, and the accompanying delegation, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the Prime Minister of Malaysia officially inaugurated the 11th summit of the (OIC) yesterday. Heads of states, prime ministers and representatives of 57 countries are taking part in the summit.

After the inaugural speech of Badawi who has held the chairmanship of OIC since 2003, Senegal President Abdoulaye Wade was elected as the new chairman of the Islamic World Body.

In his welcome speech, President Wade welcomed the participants and hailed the efforts of the former chairman Badawi and OIC's Secretary General, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu in steering the organization during the 10th term.

The leaders representing Arab, Asian and African groups addressed the summit and reasserted the importance of Islamic solidarity and the need for achieving economic partnership among Muslim countries.

OIC secretary general Ihsanoglu delivered a short speech on the mission of the organisation.

The delegation accompanying Shaikh Mohammad included Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister, Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi , Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs , Hadef Bin Jauan Al Dhaheri, Justice Minister, and other senior officials.