Dubai: The Delegation of the European Union to the UAE on Thursday inaugurated a weeklong celebration of Europe Day in Dubai, the first celebration held in the emirate.
The opening event was attended by the UAE Minister of State and Zaki Nussaibeh, who was the guest of honour, and EU Ambassador to the UAE Patrizio Fondi, in addition to ambassadors of EU member states and other countries accredited to the UAE, government officials, artists, poets and EU partners, Dubai Media Office said in a press release.
The celebrations feature a photographic exhibition titled “The UAE through the lenses of Emirati and European Photographers”, organised with the support of Dubai Culture, at the Akaas Visual Arts gallery in the Al Fahidi historic neighbourhood.
The exhibition is the result of collaboration between 10 Emirati and 10 European photographers, each of whom contributed a photograph of the UAE to the exhibition. The event is open to the public from May 10 to 15.
The exhibition includes a preview of the ‘EU-UAE: Shaikh Zayed and Europe’ exhibition which will be held in Abu Dhabi later this year.
Three wall-sized photos from the first Europe trip of the Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, dating back to 1951, along with three of his personal items — his sunglasses, his car keys and a selection of his perfumes — are being displayed at the exhibition.
Brand Dubai, the creative arm of the Government of Dubai Media Office, and Zayed University are also participating in the exhibition.
Brand Dubai is displaying photos of artwork curated by artists from the European Union with reference to the UAE’s culture and traditions in different parts of the country.
EU Ambassador to the UAE Patrizio Fondi said: “It is a great honour for me to inaugurate this joint exhibition on the occasion of the most symbolic day of the year for us in Europe. Hosting a photographic exhibition in the heart of Dubai’s Al Fahidi historic neighbourhood is an excellent way for us to celebrate EU-UAE friendship and highlight the UAE’s own heritage”.
“The relations between the EU and its 28 member states have grown broader and deeper: not only through a dynamic agenda of trade and investment, but also with the development of reinforced cooperation in the fields of security, development, humanitarian aid, energy, culture and education.”
Nehal Badri, director of Brand Dubai said: “The Government of Dubai Media Office is honoured to partner with the Delegation of the European Union to the UAE in celebrating Europe Day in Dubai.”
“Through our contributions to the exhibition, we seek to pay tribute to Shaikh Zayed who was instrumental in establishing strong ties between UAE and the EU. This event, which takes place during the ‘Year of Zayed’, is an opportune time to highlight his efforts to instill the values of tolerance, peaceful coexistence and acceptance, which have become the key principles guiding the UAE’s international relations.”
“Our participation also highlights Brand Dubai’s collaboration with artists from EU countries that has resulted in diverse artworks that beautifully portray the achievements of Shaikh Zayed and the culture of the UAE.”
Brand Dubai displayed a number of photos of the Shaikh Zayed and his meetings with Shaikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum that portray their efforts to forge the Union as well as their accomplishments in various spheres.
Zayed University students presented a postcard style exhibition called ‘From the UAE, with Love’ in which Emirati students shared their favourite photos of Europe and the stories behind them. This display is just a taster of a larger exhibition — the “Wall of Memories” section at an upcoming exhibition organised by the European Union Delegation to the UAE in the last quarter of 2018 titled "EU-UAE: Shaikh Zayed and Europe — a Journey" in Abu Dhabi.
