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Dubai: Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, on Wednesday met with Prince Rahim Aga Khan, Chairman of Environment and Climate Committee at the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), at Expo 2020 Dubai.

Sheikh Maktoum expressed his appreciation for AKDN’s initiatives in various fields including culture, heritage, historic cities, education, community development and the environment. He said the values that drive AKDN’s work in supporting underprivileged communities closely match the UAE’s own humanitarian and development ethos. The UAE’s exceptional contributions to humanitarian causes across the world has seen the country becoming the world’s largest donor of development assistance. The value of foreign aid provided by the UAE from 2010 to 2021 totals $56.14 billion (around Dh billion).

Prince Rahim Aga Khan praised the UAE’s projects and initiatives to support underprivileged communities around the world, which have contributed significantly to enhancing their welfare. He also commended the UAE’s global humanitarian work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The meeting also discussed the collaboration between AKDN and Expo’s ‘Programme for People and Planet’. The AKDN’s wide-ranging partnership with Expo is founded on a shared commitment and recognition that the most pressing challenges facing humanity can best be addressed through cultural, social, environmental and economic initiatives. The AKDN has also contributed to Expo’s ‘Theme Weeks’ on Climate and Biodiversity, Tolerance and Inclusivity, and Knowledge and Learning.

The meeting was attended by Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum; Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence; and Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director-General of the Expo 2020 Dubai Bureau.