Bush praises Dubai vision

(WAM)    

 

 

After arriving early in the morning, the US President was driven to the house of the late Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum at Shindaga, where he was treated to a colourful reception of music and dances by several cultural troupes.

The US President was taken round the house, which was built in 1896 on the Dubai Creek. He was briefed about the history of the Al Maktoum family, the development of Dubai and some valuable archaeological discoveries made in the Saouq area, which recounts the history of Dubai and its ancient civilisation.

President Bush also visited the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding in Al Bastakiya, where he was briefed about the programmes and activities of the centre.

He interacted with a group of nationals who are part of the Mohammed bin Rashid Programme for Leadership Development at the Arab Council and was briefed about their leadership role in both the private as well as public sectors. He later visited the Burj Al Arab hotel where he met and interacted with a number of young Arab leaders who briefed him about their activities at the regional and international levels with the aim of building and strengthening bridges of cultural understanding between Arab youths and their counterparts worldwide.

President Bush expressed appreciation and praised Sheikh Mohammed for his vision of opening a channel of interaction between promising Arab generations and their counterparts worldwide. He expressed his strong support for such a policy.

The US President said the American people have great respect for Arabs and Islam. He called for collaboration between the UAE and the United States in order to achieve justice and peace in the Middle East and the world. (Wam)