UAE Gender Balance Council signs MoU with Expo 2020 Dubai

DUBAI, 20th September, 2021 - The UAE Gender Balance Council and Expo 2020 Dubai have committed to strengthening engagement on gender balance and women empowerment, with the signing of a significant memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation during the historic Expo 2020 Dubai event. Through the MoU, the UAE Gender Balance Council will be able to use Expo 2020 Dubai, and the global spotlight it brings, to showcase the UAE’s outstanding achievements in gender balance. H.H. Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Gender Balance Council, President of Dubai Women Establishment, and wife of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, said, "Expo 2020 Dubai is a milestone in the UAE’s journey of continuous development, a journey that can be seen in our country’s record of pioneering projects and achievements across many important fields. With the participation of 191 countries creating a truly global platform, the event will also serve as a celebration of the UAE’s Golden Jubilee and the beginning of a new era of exceptional achievements for the next 50 years." She added, "The daily successes we are witnessing in social, economic, political and cultural spheres, signifies the shared vision of the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan and our founding fathers. Together, they laid the foundation for a country guided by national identity, humanitarian values, and sustainable development, where coexistence and harmony serve as the bedrock of society. Our leadership today continues their wisdom, including a commitment to the principles of gender balance and the advancement of women across diverse fields, and also recognises the important role women will play in bringing to life the ‘towards the next fifty’ strategy." The MoU was signed virtually by Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemy, Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director-General of Expo 2020 Dubai, and Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Vice President of the UAE Gender Balance Council. Al Hashimy said, "This memorandum was made possible with the support of H.H. Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and the tireless efforts of the UAE Gender Balance Council. The progress and success of Emirati women are key to enhancing the UAE’s global standing, and are the result of the foundations laid by our founding fathers that continue to be implemented by our wise leadership." She added, "Expo 2020 Dubai will be a global gathering during the UAE’s Golden Jubilee when we celebrate the achievements of our nation and look forward to the next fifty years. We will share our vision with the world and showcase the strength of cooperation through our country’s achievements over the past five decades. We will work with participating countries, organisations and the international community to shed light on our achievements and future goals in promoting gender balance worldwide, utilising history’s most comprehensive Expo 2020 Dubai as a platform." For her part, Al