Sharjah 24 – WAM: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, Friday met with a number of global leaders and heads of international organisations attending the UN Climate Change Conference, COP28, which commenced yesterday at Expo City Dubai. The meetings took place on the sidelines of the official reception for delegations held today at Expo City Dubai.
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, and Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, also attended the official reception.
His Highness held individual meetings at Al Wasl Plaza with His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain; His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar; Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt; Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of the Republic of India; and Najib Mikati, Prime Minister of Lebanon. His Highness also met with Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and several heads of state and government participating in the world's most significant climate conference.
His Highness welcomed the guests attending the global conference hosted by the UAE, which runs until 12th December. With over 180 heads of state and government from around the world in attendance, His Highness expressed the hope that the conference would foster a collective international effort to address climate change and facilitate an agreement on taking joint action to protect the planet and ensure a sustainable future for generations to come.
His Highness also reiterated the UAE's strong commitment to playing a significant role in advancing cooperation, both on a regional and global scale, to achieve critical strategic environmental objectives such as emissions reduction. His Highness emphasised the importance of collaboration between the government and private sectors to mitigate the consequences of climate change. Collective effort is vital to address the challenges posed by the rise in the Earth's temperatures and safeguard the planet from potential risks, he added.
The meetings, which took place at Al Wasl Plaza, were also attended by Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance; Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai; Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior; Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and a number of ministers, senior officials and dignitaries.