The visit was attended by UCLG-MEWA Secretary General Dr. Mehmet Duman, Projects Coordinator Fatih Gökyıldız, Policy Officer Yehia Ibrahim, and Project Specialist Beyza Çetin. The Consul General of the United Arab Emirates in Istanbul, Saeed Saqer, hosted the meeting on July 5, 2024.
The main purpose of the visit was to develop collaborative processes between UAE local governments and UCLG-MEWA, and to provide information about UCLG-MEWA’s activities. The UCLG-MEWA delegation explained the membership process of UCLG and UCLG-MEWA to Consul General Saeed Saqer and presented MEWA’s events schedule for 2024.
During the visit, UCLG-MEWA shared information about the meetings it had participated in over the past years in the UAE and the topics covered in those meetings. Additionally, information was provided about UCLG-MEWA’s committees, strategic plan priorities, and the UCLG-MEWA Presidency and Executive Bureau.
Meeting Outcomes and Future Plans
Following the visit, UCLG-MEWA Secretary General Dr. Mehmet Duman stated, “This visit was an important step towards strengthening our collaboration with the UAE. We aim to establish closer and more efficient partnerships in the future.”
The visit was considered as a crucial milestone in further consolidating UCLG-MEWA’s relationships with the UAE and other countries in the MEWA region.