Activities of Secretary-General in United Arab Emirates, 16-18 January
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, accompanied by Madam Ban Soon-taek, arrived in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, in the evening of 16 January. They were the guests a few hours later of Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Chief Executive Officer of the Masdar Corporation and Deputy Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates, at a dinner in their honour.
On Monday morning, 17 January, the Secretary-General delivered a speech at the opening ceremony of the Fourth World Future Energy Summit, an event organized annually by the Masdar Corporation. (See Press Release SG/SM/13352)
That was followed by a tour of the Summit exhibition hall, where companies working in the field of renewable energy showed their products. He later spoke to a gathering of the Young Future Energy Leaders on the site of the exhibition. (See Press Release SG/SM/13353)
That afternoon, the Secretary-General visited Masdar City, a pilot urban centre powered entirely by renewable energy. Masdar City is being built and is funded by the Masdar Corporation. That visit was followed by a press conference.
The Secretary-General began his working day on 18 January with a breakfast meeting with a group of CEOs of renewable energy companies. He then held a number of bilateral meetings with leaders attending the World Future Energy Summit. They included Sheikha Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh; José Sócrates, Prime Minister of Portugal; and Ali Asif Zardari, President of Pakistan.
Later that same day, he met with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the United Arab Emirates. He later travelled briefly to Dubai to meet with Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Emir of Dubai.
Upon his return to Abu Dhabi, the Secretary-General met with United Nations staff members working in the region at a town hall meeting. He also attended a ceremony for the Zayed Future Energy Prize.
The Secretary-General and his delegation departed later that evening for Muscat, Oman.