Dubai: Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, on Wednesday met with Prince Rahim Aga Khan, Chairman of Environment and Climate Committee at the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), at Expo 2020 Dubai.
Sheikh Maktoum expressed his appreciation for AKDN’s initiatives in various fields including culture, heritage, historic cities, education, community development and the environment. He said the values that drive AKDN’s work in supporting underprivileged communities closely match the UAE’s own humanitarian and development ethos. The UAE’s exceptional contributions to humanitarian causes across the world has seen the country becoming the world’s largest donor of development assistance. The value of foreign aid provided by the UAE from 2010 to 2021 totals $56.14 billion (around Dh billion).
Prince Rahim Aga Khan praised the UAE’s projects and initiatives to support underprivileged communities around the world, which have contributed significantly to enhancing their welfare. He also commended the UAE’s global humanitarian work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The meeting also discussed the collaboration between AKDN and Expo’s ‘Programme for People and Planet’. The AKDN’s wide-ranging partnership with Expo is founded on a shared commitment and recognition that the most pressing challenges facing humanity can best be addressed through cultural, social, environmental and economic initiatives. The AKDN has also contributed to Expo’s ‘Theme Weeks’ on Climate and Biodiversity, Tolerance and Inclusivity, and Knowledge and Learning.
The meeting was attended by Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum; Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence; and Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director-General of the Expo 2020 Dubai Bureau.
Dubai: Prince Rahim Aga Khan recently had a two-day official visit to Dubai, where he met top UAE officials.
Prince Rahim was accompanied by a delegation from the Ismaili Imamat, headquartered in Lisbon, Portugal. He conveyed the greetings and appreciation of his father, His Highness the Aga Khan, for their personal friendship and the strong support extended to the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) and the Ismaili Muslim community, which has a long-established settlement in the UAE.
Prince Rahim commended the UAE’s humanitarian efforts and the government’s successes in addressing the Covid-19 pandemic. He congratulated Dubai’s leadership for its dedication and commitment to welcoming an exchange of ideas and knowledge from around the world.
Prince Rahim’s visit to the UAE was at the invitation of Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister for Tolerance, who also hosted a lunch in his honour, followed by tours of several pavilions at Expo 2020 Dubai, including Vision and Alif Pavillions.
Tour at Museum of the Future
Prince Rahim also toured the recently opened Museum of the Future, where he met with Abdulaziz AlJaziri, Deputy CEO and COO of the Dubai Future Foundation, and Majed Al Mansoori, Deputy Executive Director of the Museum.
Prince Rahim praised the Museum’s work to bring together innovators, scientists, and prominent figures from leading fields to share their vision of crafting a sustainable, inclusive future.
Prior to his departure, Prince Rahim met with volunteers from the Ismaili Muslim Community at the Ismaili Centre Dubai. The delegation accompanying Prince Rahim comprised of Sultan Ali Allana, Director of Economic Development, Jane Piacentini-Moore, Senior Official, International Financial Affairs, Nazim Ahmed, Senior Official and Diplomatic Representative and Aziz Merchant, President, of the Ismaili Community in UAE.
