Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday 14 October 2021 – His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio has participated in the Dubai Expo2020, a global destination organised every five years for millions of people to share ideas, showcase innovation, encourage collaboration and celebrate human ingenuity.
Speaking on Sierra Leone’s National Day at the EXPO, where people displayed cultural and traditional performances, Minister of State for Tolerance in the United Arab Emirates, UAE, His Excellency Sheik Nahyan Bin Mubarak AL-Nahyan, extended appreciation to President Julius Maada Bio, the First Lady Madam Fatima Bio, and the people of Sierra Leone for their huge and quality participation in the Expo Dubai 2020, adding that it would allow the country to display its unique and great culture and investment opportunities.
He further noted that the relationship between the two countries had grown over the years to a greater height and was becoming stronger every day, saying that that was why the UAE would continue to support Sierra Leone in areas of health, education, agriculture, and other important sectors.
“Today, Sierra Leone is a strong trade partner with the UAE, and with this EXPO 2020, we hope to strengthen the relationship between the two countries for sustainable growth and development. We have immense mineral resources as mapped out in our recent national geophysical survey, vast expanses of arable land, oil and gas prospects, beaches, islands, and coastal waters rich in fish,” he said.
In his remarks, His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio thanked the leadership of the UAE and the organisers of the EXPO Dubai 2020 for the warm reception and hospitality accorded him and members of his delegation since they arrived. He said the UAE was a great and beautiful country that had been globally recognised as the beacon of tolerance, adding that that level of tolerance and commitment to global peace was worth commending.
The President recalled that since her attainment of nationhood on 2nd December 1971, under the dynamic leadership of the founding father and President, His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan, the UAE had also attained remarkable socio-economic advancement in such sectors as artificial intelligence, banking and finance, tourism and hospitality, infrastructure, space exploration and digitalisation. He said they had also been at the centre of global humanitarian actions.
”I wish to thank the leadership of the UAE for their continuous support to my country and many others, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“EXPO Dubai 2020 undoubtedly offers a unique platform for countries around the world to showcase diversity and potential, to connect with business leaders and policymakers, attract investments, and discuss ways of fostering a brighter and sustainable future for all, urging greater partnership, dialogue, and collaboration among nations as the world tackled the adverse social and economic impacts of COVID-19, especially on our smaller African economies.
“I call on the UAE leadership to lead a campaign on debt relief for smaller countries like Sierra Leone,” he urged.
For More Enquiries: State House Media and Communications Unit
