Dubai, Lyon sign cooperation agreement

The agreement was signed on behalf of Dubai Municipality by Hussain Nasser Lootah, Acting Director General of the Municipality, and Jean-Michel Daclin, Assistant Mayor of Lyon.

The agreement seeks to enhance cooperation between the two cities in various economic and cultural fields including construction and infrastructure fields as the French city possess high technical capabilities in the fields of street illumination and lighting of traditional and modern buildings.

It will also facilitate exchange of information between the two cities on a variety of civic services and projects.

Lootah said the agreement would be the first step towards establishing closer ties between the two cities. "Today, as we sign this agreement, I am hopeful that this would enhance our relations in a way that is mutually beneficial to both of our cities," he said.

The French city is regarded as a pioneer centre for firms undertaking building illumination using a variety of colours and modern techniques.

Lootah said both cities would nominate a representative each to execute this agreement in the best ways possible and the clauses of this agreement would be advertised extensively in order to promote cooperation between companies and establishments in the two cities.

He noted that this is the first step in opening up doors of cooperation in a lot more fields than those are currently mentioned in the agreement which followed a series of talks, held earlier in Lyon, between government officials and top company executives, businessmen and investors from both cities.

Jean-Michel Daclin, Assistant Mayor of Lyon, described the signing of agreement as a "symbolic act which is the beginning of a promising collaboration between our cities."

He noted that Dubai and Lyon both focus on similar areas to stimulate development and create a convergence of interest between the two cities in culture, science and economic development.

The signing ceremony was attended by senior officials of Dubai Municipality and Patrice Paoli, the French Ambassador to the UAE, and a 45-member delegation from Lyon consisting of engineering consultants, contractors, and businessmen.

It's worth mentioning that the French city has signed similar agreements with cities like Bucharest of Romania and Tunis as well as various government authorities in Morocco and Saudi Arabia.

Dubai, on its part, has signed some 18 twinning or cooperation agreements with cities and government organisations worldwide including Casablanca (Morocco), Gold Coast (Australia), Istanbul (Turkey), Detroit (US), Shanghai (China), Guangzhou (China), Damascus (Syria), Geneva (Switzerland), Occupied Jerusalem (Palestine), Beirut (Lebanon), Osaka (Japan), Dundee (Scotland), Frankfurt (Germany), Qingdao (China), Barcelona (Spain), Busan (South Korea), Sultan Qaboos University (Oman), and Astronomy & Geophysics Research Institute (Saudi Arabia).