The Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to Ghana, His Excellency Khalifa Yousif Al Zaabi has expressed the hope for “constant progress and prosperity” for his country, UAE and the Republic of Ghana.

Speaking at the 48th National Day of the UAE held at the kempinski Hotel in Accra on Monday, H.E Al Zaabi said the leadership of the UAE “spares no effort to raise the nation and achieve the well-being and happiness of its citizens and residents”, wishing both Ghana and UAE prosperity and progress

“I wish a blessed year of constant progress and prosperity for the UAE and the Republic of Ghana” he said at the event.

Senior Minister Yaw Osafo Maafo represented President Akufo-Addo at the event. Also present were Minister of Education Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Heads of Diplomatic Missions and other government officials.

UAE highlights in 2019

Touching on the year 2019, he mentioned the remarkable progress made by the UAE since 1971 when the seven (7) emirates came together to form the United Arab Emirates.

He touched on the upcoming Expo2020 in Dubai, UAE’s Passport ranking as the most powerful passport in the world, the establishment of the Mohammed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence and the inspiration of the first Arab astronaut to visit space, an Emirati citizen Hazaa al-Mansouri.

Mr Al Zaabi also highlighted the declaration of 2019 as the year of Tolerance by the UAE leadership, explaining that currently more than 200 various nationalities live in the UAE in “an atmosphere of openness, mutual respect and coexistence based on the principle of tolerance.”



Ghana-UAE relations

Touching on foreign policy, H.E Al Zaabi said “the progress, development and prosperity that UAE enjoys go hand in hand with a balanced foreign policy based on moderation, tolerance, humanitarian assistance and political openness”. He explained that this posture helps the UAE “to gain greater respect in its diplomatic presence and further boost its friendly relations around the world”.

According to the ambassador, “the official visit of His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana to the UAE in November 2019, culminated in a strong witness and a sincere indicator of the strength of bilateral relations, entrenched in various fields.”

He therefore paid “tribute to the level of bilateral relations between the United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Ghana, which are based on the principles of cooperation and mutual respect, which in recent years have reached the level of strategic partnership and the ever-increasing trade, economic and cultural exchange between the two countries and peoples.”

He listed the areas of cooperation as “Convention on the Avoidance of Double Taxation on Income; Agreement on Cooperation and Mutual Administrative Assistance in Customs Matters, Memorandum of Understanding on Mutual Exemption of Visas and Memorandum of Understanding in the field of Manpower.”