DUBAI: UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan visited the Arc de Triomphe and the residence of France’s Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne on the final day of his Paris trip, while Ambassador Hend Al-Otaiba showed off Emirati creativity by wearing an ensemble by designer Ahmed AlKhyeli during the visit.
The UAE president was in the country to witness the signing of two major energy agreements, alongside French leader Emmanuel Macron.
The Arc de Triomphe is one of the most famous monuments in Paris, standing at the western end of the Champs-Élysées at the centre of Place Charles de Gaulle. The monument honors those who fought and died for France in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.
Sheikh Mohamed (L) is greeted by the French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, on the steps of the l’Hotel de Matignon, the official residence of the Prime Minister, in Paris on July 19. (AFP)
Sheikh Mohamed laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, within the Arc de Triomphe. “A salute to all those who made the ultimate sacrifice in defence of their countries,” he wrote in the visitors' book.
Sheikh Mohamed then travelled to Hotel Matignon, Ms Borne's official residence, where a military band played and cavalry saluted before he attended a meeting between French and Emirati delegations.
Additionally, Hend Al-Otaiba, the first ever woman ambassador to France for the United Arab Emirates, made waves in Paris as she wore a bespoke creatiob by Emirati designer Ahmed AlKhyeli for the state dinner at Versailles Palace. AlKhyeli’s couture house is based in London.
Officials from the two countries also signed a broader strategic agreement to cooperate in the energy sector. The partnership aimed to identify joint investment projects in France, the UAE or elsewhere in the sectors of hydrogen, renewable and nuclear energy, the French government said.
