DM receives delegation from sister city Michigan

The delegation was received on Sunday by Qassim Sultan, Director General of Dubai Municipality, who noted that their visit would open up new horizons of friendship between the two cities. The delegation was headed by Nasser Baidoun, Director of the Detroit-based Arab-American Chamber of Commerce.

Welcoming the delegation to the city and wishing them a good stay, Mr. Sultan said Dubai always tries to be a city with a difference. "As we are always keen to develop bilateral relations with cities around the world, we look forward to working with you to further our relations in various fields. For instance, you have a lot of potentials in the trade, investment and technology fields, while Dubai has its own systems and services in place and it offers a lot of investment opportunities in a variety of fields. We both could benefit from each other a lot," said Mr. Sultan.

He noted that contrary to what the media portrays about the Arab region, Dubai is a safe haven and it shows complete tolerance to people of all faiths.

He added that Dubai and Detroit enjoy excellent relationship thanks to the Sister Cities agreement signed by the two cities in 1998 and this visit would help members of the House of Representatives familiarise with the new developments taking place in Dubai.

During talks with the delegation, Mr.Sultan also stressed the significance of a cultural understanding between the Arab and US societies in order to create an environment of mutual trust and intellectual exchange between the two societies. "The Arabs have been, and still are, a peace-loving people throughout the history and there is no discrimination based on religion or race in the Arab communities," he said.

Members of the delegation expressed gratitude to the civic officials for providing them an opportunity to know Dubai from closer. They hailed the good hospitality meted out to them by Dubai and noted that the city has witnessed tremendous progress over the past 30 years thanks to a dynamic leadership "For us, Dubai has been a best-kept secret until we arrived here," one of them commented.

Scott Hummel, State Representative, 93rd District, said the visit was an eye-opener for him. "This is my first trip to Dubai and the city is truly different from what we learn from the media, which portrays the entire Middle East as a zone of conflicts and terrorism," he said.

Mr. Sultan later answered the queries of the delegation, that centered on the country's educational and healthcare systems, road networks, greenery and landscaping as well as business and investment opportunities.

The delegation toured the Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City, Palm Island project site, Burj Al Arab Hotel, shopping centres, Jebel Ali Free Zone.

The Sister Cities agreement between Dubai and Detroit provides for contribution toward common understanding and the exchange of ideas, resources and people between the two cities. The agreement also provides for developing programmes and activities in fields such as economics, trade, science and technology as well as culture and arts. These programmes and activities will serve as vehicles to promote exchanges and to strengthen the relationship between the two cities.