President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and First Lady Fazna Ahmed have departed on an official trip to Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) to join the Expo 2020. They are joined on this trip by a delegation of cabinet ministers and high-level executives from the government and the President’s Office.
During this trip, President Solih is scheduled to deliver remarks during the ‘Official Ceremony for Maldives National Day’ held at the expo. The President and First Lady will also attend a special luncheon hosted in their honour by the UAE government. President Solih is will be the keynote speaker at the Maldives Investment Forum on 26 October 2021, and participate in a Q&A Panel discussion afterwards.
Before concluding their trip, President Solih and First Lady Fazna are scheduled to meet with Maldivian diplomats, their families and members of the Maldivian community in UAE.
The President and First Lady will conclude their official trip to Dubai on 27 October 2021, upon which the First Lady will return to the Maldives. President Solih will travel directly from Dubai to Glasgow, Scotland, on 29 October 2021, to participate in the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), which will take place in November 2021. The Speaker of Parliament and former President, Mohamed Nasheed, will join President Solih on his trip to Glasgow.
Expo 2020 is a World Expo held every five years. Hosted by Dubai this time, from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022, the expo was originally scheduled to be held from 20 October 2020 to 10 April 2021 but was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The theme of Expo 2020 Dubai is ‘Connecting Minds and Creating the Future’, focussing on sustainability, innovation and cooperation from around the world. There are over 192 nations from across the world participating in the 6-month event.
