2012, December 10: Paris, France
- President Asif Ali Zardari and Prince Karim Agha Khan shaking
hands before their meeting at Hotel Plaza Athenee. Prince Karim
Agha Khan, the spiritual leader of the Ismaili community, today
called on President Asif Ali Zardari here at Hotel Plaza Athenee.
He congratulated the President and the Government of Pakistan on
organizing, along with UNESCO, a high level event for the
promotion of education in Pakistan. The President appreciated the
services of Prince Karim Agha Khan across the world particularly
for the people of Pakistan in the education sector, poverty
eradication, women empowerment and socio-economic development of
the poor strata of society. The President wished Prince Karim
Agha Khan long life, good health and prosperity. The President
also invited him to visit Pakistan at his convenience. Credit APP
- [Video]
2012, November 29: Nairobi, Kenya - The
government and the Aga Khan Trust have formalized the project to
restore the Nairobi City Park. His Highness The Aga Khan and
Prime Minister Raila Odinga signed the agreement to rehabilitate
the Park at the Nairobi National Museum paving the way for the
Aga Khan Trust to embark on the rehabilitation early next year.
[Video
NTVKenya ] [More]
2012, November 28: Nairobi, Kenya - H.H. The Aga Khan arrived at
JKIA Airport in Nairobi this afternoon and had a meeting at the
VIP lounge of the airport with President Kibaki who also returned
from Arusha. On November 29th, this Thursday, He is expected to
tour City Park for which A Memorandum of Understanding was signed
in April 2012 between the Government of Kenya, the Ministry of
State for National Heritage and Culture, the City Council of
Nairobi and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture to collaborate in the
rehabilitation and restoration of the Nairobi City Park to
international standards in terms of architecture, landscape and
horticulture. Later that day, he is also expected to attend at
around 11am with Prime Minister Raila Odinga to sign the
agreement to rehabilitate the Park at the Nairobi National
Museum.. [More]
2012, November 27: Arusha,
Tanzania - H.H. The Aga Khan who signed an agreement with the
East African Community in July 2012 arrived in Tanzania today and
attended the opening of the East African Community Headquarters
in Arushah with the presidents of the five member states of the
East African Community. The host country’s head of state,
Mr Jakaya Kikwete, lead his four regional counterparts--the
Ugandan leader, President Yoweri Museveni, Burundi President,
Pierre Nkurunzinza and Rwandan leader, Paul Kagame (represented),
Kenya President Mwai Kibaki in the inaugural ceremony.
PHOTO/STEPHEN MUDIARI - [More
here]
2012, October 24:
Edmonton, Canada - Edmonton Journal: On a day Premier Alison
Redford said “she would remember for the rest of (her)
life, the premier and His Highness the Aga Khan signed an
agreement of co-operation Wednesday at Government House. The
agreement signals a symbolic partnership between the province
with the Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of Shia Ismaili Muslims.
By signing it, the two parties pledged to work together on issues
such as health sciences, education, economic development and
culture both in Alberta and in countries served by the Aga Khan
Development Network, a charitable organization the Aga Khan
founded that works to improve the lives of people in the
developing world.. “It’s an exciting day because we
have the opportunity to sign a memorandum of understanding that
is going to allow us to share and learn together, not only for
the benefit of people in our province, but more importantly, I
believe, for people around the world,” Redford said.
Alberta is the first province to sign such an agreement with the
Ismaili Imamat, the office of the Aga Khan. The Aga Khan said the
signing of the partnership made him feel he has another ally in
the world. This day “gives you a sense of hope, a sense of
confidence, a sense of not being alone in trying to achieve the
goals that one sets oneself as an individual or as an
institution.”[News,
Photos and link to Agreement here]
2012, October 22: London, UK - As part of the Synergos
Institute's University for a Night series, His Highness the Aga
Khan was awarded the David Rockefeller Bridging Leadership Award
at a ceremony in London. [more]
or [here]
2012, October 20:
Aga Khan inaugurate Construction of Obstetrics Facility in Kabul.
By Sajad - Khaama Press. The Foundation Ceremony of the new
Women’s Wing at the French Medical Institute for Children
(FMIC) today, marked the start of construction for a new
obstetrics and gynaecology wing on the hospital premises that
will provide high quality care for mothers and newborns in
Afghanistan. The building, which will take 24 months to complete,
will offer 52 additional beds for obstetric and gynecologic care
and a 14-bed neonatal intensive care unit — the first in
Afghanistan. His Excellency Karim Khalili vice President of the
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, His Highness Prince Karim Aga
Khan, and His Excellency Laurent Fabius Minister of Foreign
Affairs of the French Republic were the guest for the occasion.
In a speech at the ceremony the Aga Khan hailed the FMIC’s
standards of excellence and said the facility was making
Afghanistan’s health care system more self-reliant.
“What all of this means for Afghanistan, quite simply, is
that people here no longer need to feel they must venture outside
the country in order to get quality health care,” he said
adding that he regarded the FMIC and its expansion as part of
broader effort to bring quality medical care not only to
Afghanistan but also the neighbouring areas. He also announced
longer-term plans to build on a plot adjacent to the hospital an
international medical centre serving the entire region. [More]
2012, October 19: His
Excellency Hamid Karzai, President of the Islamic Republic of
Afghanistan, and His Highness the Aga Khan officially opened the
restored mausoleum of Timur Shah today. The historic monument,
which had fallen into disrepair during decades of civil war, has
been restored as part of an on-going programme undertaken by the
Aga Khan Trust for Culture to preserve the cultural heritage of
Afghanistan. The work, which began in 2003, encompassed the
mausoleum and the rehabilitation of the one hectare park
surrounding the building. Timur Shah was the Durrani King who
made Kabul the capital of the modern Afghan State. [More]
2012, October 18: Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan - The Aga Khan
School – the first private school in Osh - today celebrated
its 10th Anniversary in the presence of Princess Zahra Aga Khan.
[More]
2012, October 17:
Bishkek, / Kabar / Kyrgyzstan attaches great importance to
cooperation with the Aga Khan Development Network. Vice Speaker
of the Kyrgyz Parliament Asiya Sasykbaeva met with Princess Zahra
Aga Khan. A. Sasykbaeva noted that the Aga Khan Development
Network provides assistance to projects in social sector,
particularly in education and health care. In turn, Princess
Zahra Aga Khan told about the purpose of her visit to Kyrgyzstan
and also touched upon the ongoing projects of the Aga Khan
Foundation in Kyrgyzstan, including the construction of the
University of Central Asia in Naryn. At the meeting it was noted
that these days the 10th anniversary of the Aga Khan School in
Osh will be celebrated. MP Kanybek Imanaliev, who attended the
meeting proposed to open a similar school in Batken oblast.
[more]
2012, october 15: KABUL, Afghanistan /PRNewswire/ --
Roshan, Afghanistan's leading total communications provider [AKDN
is one of the partners], today announced it was the recipient of
three awards at the Ninth Annual International Business Awards in
Seoul, South Korea. More than 3,200 entries from organizations
and individuals across the world vied for the prestigious Stevie
awards.
2012, October 12: World-renowned Japanese architect
Fumihiko Maki is to design a Muslim cultural centre and
university on the 67-acre King’s Cross development for the
Aga Khan. The 84-year-old Pritzker prizewinner has been appointed
to draw up plans for the two buildings by the Aga Khan
Development Network, an 80,000-strong organisation headed by the
leader of the world’s 15 million Ismaili Muslims. The
cultural centre of more than 100,000 square feet is likely to be
built on a plot to the north of, and across an open square from,
the University of the Arts. A university of similar size will be
built on nearby land, currently reserved for offices. The two
projects are among five, totalling half a million square feet,
now being commissioned by the Network at King’s Cross.
[More
2012, October 8: H.H. has arrived
in Uganda for the opening of the $900 Million Bujagali hydropower
project. The project has been officially inaugurated by President
Museveni today at as part of the activities to celebrate 50 years
of independence in the presence of H.H. The Aga Khan, South Sudan
President Salva Kiir and Burundi leader Pierre Nkurunziza as well
as other dignitaries. The Aga Khan said in his speech that this
occasion is of great significance, and is an inspiring model on
how such change can be achieved. The Aga Khan acknowledged the
community around the project, the scientists and engineers, as
well as the government of President Museveni. He says Bujagali is
a Ugandan success story. He says the project won’t stop
delivering electricity but would continue to improve on the lives
of the community. [More
Bujagali opening news and photos] [Minute
by minute live news of opening]
2012, October 7: The Aga Khan's Ridasiyna rallied from
well off the pace to collar Izzi Top in the final 200 meters and
score a clear win the Qatar Prix de l'Opera at Longchamp.
[Photos
and
news]
2012, September 26: CA-NEWS (TJ) - Foreign Minister of
Tajikistan Hamrohon Zarifi met with Prince Karim Aga Khan IV on
Tuesday in New York, reported Foreign Ministry. "During the
meeting, sides discussed issues and perspectives of programs and
projects of Aga Khan Development Network in Tajikistan," said in
a statement. The Foreign Ministry notes that "the meeting was
held in an atmosphere of constructive and fruitful exchange of
views." [Photo
and more news]
2012, September 4: Tehran, Iran.
Kofi Annan arrived in Tehran in H.H. The Aga Khan's plane to take
part in the 16th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement, which
provided world leaders an opportunity to come together and
address pressing global issues. Photo Credit: MEHR. [More]
2012, October 01: NEW BOOK:" The
Aga Khan Case - Religion and Identity in Colonial India." To be
released in October 2012. Authored by Teena Purohit and published
by Harvard University Press. The Aga Khan Case focuses on a
nineteenth-century court case in Bombay that influenced how
religious identity was defined in India and subsequently the
British Empire. The case arose when a group of Indians known as
the Khojas refused to pay tithes to the Aga Khan, a Persian
nobleman and hereditary spiritual leader of the Ismailis.
Hardcover, 198 pages, $45. ISBN 9780674066397 - 6-1/8 x 9-1/4
inches
2012-September 17: NEW BOOK - "The Children of Time: The
Aga Khan and the Ismailis" by Malise Ruthven and Gerald
Wilkinson. I. B. Tauris - Chapters on Ismaili history and
theology explain how Ismaili interpretations of Islam under the
Fatimid Caliphs (909-1171) and their immediate successors laid
the intellectual foundations for the reforms instituted by the
present Imam and his immediate predecessor Aga Khan III
(1885-1957), the international statesman and leader of
India’s Muslims prior to World War II. Chapters on the
Imamat of Aga Khan IV focus on achievements in architecture,
conservation, health, education, rural development, and economic
development, showing how his vision for the community and the
network it sustains through charitable contributions is providing
concrete, constructive solutions to problems of poverty,
illiteracy, the status of women, and institutional
under-development in Africa and Asia, including regions
devastated by war, drought, malnutrition, government instability
and high levels of seismic activity. The first study of the
contemporary Ismaili community to have been authorized by the
Harvard-educated Aga Khan, this book shows how a religious
tradition rooted in a medieval - ISBN-10: 1845117220 - 408 pages
- CDN$ 41.57.
2012, July 18: Singapore – “Treasures of the
Aga Khan Museum: Architecture in the Islamic World” was
opened today by Dr. Yaacob Ibrahim, Singapore’s Minster for
Information, Communications and the Arts, and Prince Amyn Aga
Khan, at the Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore. The
exhibition will run from 19 July to 28 October 2012.
2012. July 17: H.H. The Aga Khan
arived in Dar es Salam, Tanzania for AKDN work and official
givernment meetings. He will be visiting Arusha also where the
AKU will have its East African main campus. [More
photos and news here] [Video]
2012, July 17: Mumbai, India - Development Credit Bank's
(DCB) new corporate office was inaugurated by Mr P. Vijaya
Bhaskar, Executive Director, Reserve Bank of India. The new
premises are located on the sixth floor of Peninsula Business
Park in Lower Parel, Mumbai. Prince Rahim Aga Khan from Aga Khan
Fund for Economic Development graced the ocassion.
2012, July 2: Dushanbe, Tajikistan - Prince Husain Aga
khan arived today for a for 3 days visit to Tajikistan. During
his visit, Prince Hussain will review the progress of current and
planned activities of the Aga Khan Development Network in the
country. Prince Hussain is involved in projects and initiatives
related to culture and the environment. [More]
2012, June 30: GENEVA, June 30 (Itar-Tass) — Russian
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met H.H. The Aga Khan in Geneva on
Saturday at the Russian permanent mission at the United Nations.
[link
2012, June 17:
Chantilly, France - Seventh heaven: Aga Khan won the French
Oaks for record seventh time on Sunday Photo: JOHN TAYLOR. -
Shock winner Valyra earns the Aga Khan record seventh win in the
French Oaks The Aga Khan landed the Prix de Diane at Chantilly
for a record seventh time when Valyra, the 28-1 outsider of his
three runners, finished strongly down the outside under a fine
ride from Johnny Murtagh to overhaul favourite Beauty Parlour in
the closing stages of Sunday's fillies’ Classic. [More
from the Telegraph and exclusive photos]
2012, May 28: Ottawa, Canada -
H.H. The Aga Khan giving introductory speech at Global Centre for
Pluralism’s inaugural lecture. Event reported by Mr. Costas
Menegakis (Richmond Hill, CPC) to Canadian Parliament next day as
follow: "Mr. Speaker, last night His Highness the Aga Khan hosted
Her Excellency Roza Otunbayeva for a speech at the Global Centre
for Pluralism. Several Conservative ministers, including the
Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Citizenship,
Immigration and Multiculturalism, were in attendance. They later
joined Ms. Otunbayeva and the Aga Khan for dinner. In her public
lecture, Ms. Otunbayeva spoke eloquently about the challenges of
promoting pluralism in the Kyrgyz Republic. Following unrest in
2010, Ms. Otunbayeva provided strong, stable leadership in
challenging times. In many ways, Ms. Otunbayeva is the Margaret
Thatcher of central Asia. She helped usher in parliamentary
elections and a peaceful transition of power following her
interim presidency. A video of her lecture will be posted on the
Global Centre for Pluralism website, and I encourage all
Canadians to watch her speech. Our Conservative government has
invested millions of dollars in the Global Centre for Pluralism
and supports what His Highness is doing. Our Conservative
government has also welcomed Ismaili refugees to Canada from
central Asia, and our government looks forward to collaborating
with His Highness the Aga Khan in the future." (Hansard 129 of 29
may 2012, 41 Parliament - 1st session)
2012 May 20: Ottawa, Canada - His Highness The Aga Khan
has arrived in Ottawa this Sunday. His car arrived at The
Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat on Sussex Drive from the airport
around 4:30pm and the Imam waved to the 25-30 Ismailis who were
waiting for his arrival. The visit is scheduled to last 10 days
in Canada for appointments, Pluralism and other official
work.
2012, May 8: Aga Khan
building wins Governor General’s Medal - OTTAWA — The
Aga Khan’s white building at 199 Sussex Drive “puts
Canadian architecture firmly on the world stage,” says the
jury for the Governor General’s Medals in Architecture. The
Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat, by Maki and Associates of Japan
with Moriyama & Teshima Architects of Toronto, was one of 12
medal recipients announced Tuesday. The award recognizes
outstanding design in recent projects by Canadian architects.
“This is a significant addition to Ottawa’s
repertoire of diplomatic buildings,” wrote the five-member
jury of architects. Calling it “delicate and sensual”
the panel praised the “outstanding” quality of
materials and detailing. “Impressively monumental in scale,
the project combines a powerful civic presence with a remarkable
level of sophistication,” the jury wrote. “Its
integration of traditional Islamic motifs, such as specially
crafted screens and a lush courtyard garden, is choreographed
with assurance and sensitivity.” Opened in 2008, the
$54-million building is the first in the world to represent
Prince Karim Aga Khan IV. [Ottawa
Citizen] [CBC]
2012, April 28: - By The Citizen Reporter - Dar es Salaam.
The Aga Khan Award for Architecture would be doubled to $1
million (Sh1.6bn), it has been learnt. According to a statement
released by the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), his Highness
the Aga Khan said doubling of the Award was meant to assist and
support the recipients, many of whom are not well-known or
well-funded architects or urban planners. “One of key
aspects of the Award is that winners should be able to reposition
their future with the support they get from the Award, both
professionally and institutionally,” said the Agha Khan on
the occasion of the announcement.
2012, April 27: US Special Envoy Rashad Hussain Met Afghan
Ismailis Leader. Rashad Hussain US special envoy for president
Barack Obama to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on
Friday met with Alhaj Sayed Mansoor Naderi leader of the Shia
Ismailies for Afghanistan at Hakim Nasir Khusraw Balkhi Cultural
Center. During his meeting with Alhaj Syed Mansoor Naderi Mr.
Rashad Hussain said he was delighted to meet with Naderi and
other political leaders and religious clerics. Alhaj Syed Mansoor
Naderi welcomed Rashad Hussain and emphasized for strong
relations between the two nations and specially Muslims of the
two countries. US special envoy for president Barack Obama to the
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Rashad Hussain also
took a tour of the Hakim Nasir Balkhi Cultural Center and signed
the memorial book of the Cultural Center after visiting the
world’s largest hand written Holy Quran, Public Library and
the arts and drawings exhibition of Nasir Khusraw Balkhi Journeys
(Safarnama). [Source:
http://www.khaama.com/us-special-envoy-rashad-hussain-met-afghan-ismailis-leader-786]
2012, April 17: Nairobi, Kenya. Published on Apr 17, 2012
by NTVKenya - http://www.ntv.co.ke - Residents of Nairobi will
continue enjoying the ambience at the Nairobi City Park thanks to
a rehabilitation programme that will be initiated by the Aga Khan
Trust for Culture in collaboration with the Government. Through
the Aga Khan Development Network, a memorandum of understanding
was signed between the Ministry of State for National Heritage
and Culture, The City Council of Nairobi and the Aga Khan Trust
For Culture so as to collaborate in the rehabilitation and
restoration of the City Park to international standards.
Signatories to the MoU include Prince Hussain Aga Khan on behalf
of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, Town Clerk Philip Kisia, and
Professor Karega Mutahi who is the Permanent Secretary in the
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister among other representatives
from government. The agreement foresees collaboration through
environmental improvements, landscape architectural conservation
and enhancement and creation of new facilities.
2012, April 4:DUSHANBE, Tajikistan -- Prince Karim
Aga Khan has said that an Ismaili center has been officially
registered in Dushanbe under Tajikistan's law on religion. The
Aga Khan, who runs a development network bearing his name, said
his talks with Tajikistan's president on April 4 focused on
difficult living conditions for many residents of the country
after a long, harsh winter: "With regard to the discussions with
His Excellency the President we reviewed the situation in the
region," he said. "And we spent some time looking at the
questions concerning national infrastructure in Tajikistan --
because like many countries which are an integral part of a
regional process, the way in which each country functions is very
important indeed." The Aga Khan told reporters after his talks
with Rahmon that he will continue to invest in water, road,
energy, and communications projects in Tajikistan. His network
has already financed five key bridges in the country and a
five-star hotel in Dushanbe as well as agriculture and education
projects. [More]
2012 April 4:Urumxi, China - In his first visit in China since 1981,
H.H. The Aga Khan returned to Urumxi, China at the invitation of
the Governor of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Mr Nur
Bekri, to discuss AKDN projects to be undertaken in collaboration
with Government of Xinjiang. The China visit will be immediately
followed by a Tajik visit. [Photo: Mawlana Hazar Imam and Mr Nur
Bekri, Governor of Xinjiang. Photo: Xinjiang Foreign Affairs
Office]
2012, March 28 -
Paris, France - Signature d’une convention entre le
Quai d’Orsay et l’Academie diplomatique
internationale - Alain Juppé, ministre d’Etat,
ministre des Affaires étrangères et européennes
signera une convention avec le président de
l’Académie diplomatique internationale, Son Altesse
l’Aga Khan, relative à la coopération entre le
Quai d’Orsay et cette institution le mercredi 28 mars, au
Quai d’Orsay. [More]
2012 March 30:
SINGAPORE, (Bernama) - The Aga Khan, Imam of the Shia
Ismaili community, is on a four-day working visit to Singapore,
beginning today. While in Singapore, the Aga Khan will call on
President Tony Tan Keng Yam and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong,
and will be hosted to lunch by Minister for Information,
Communications and the Arts and Minister-in-charge of Muslim
Affairs Dr Yaacob Ibrahim. [More]
[in
Forum] [Testimony]
2012. March 30: Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia - Launch of "Treasures of the Aga Khan
Museum: Architecture in Islamic World", a travelling exhibition
of objects and art from the Aga Khan Museum. The Exhibition will
last 3 months. The exhibition is divided into six sections:
“Sacred Typographies”, which explores the sites and
monuments of Islamic pilgrimage through paintings and drawings;
“Religious and Funerary Architecture”, which examines
mosques and commemorative shrines; “The Fortress and the
City”, which encompasses forts and fortified towns;
“The Palace”, which looks at the residences of royal
families; “Gardens, Pavilions and Tents”, which
discusses the arts of shelter; and “Architecture and the
Written Word”, which focuses on architectural spaces
contained in miniature painting. [Exclusive Photo
Gallery of H.H. The Aga Khan at the Launch of the Exhibition in
Malaysia 2012] [Video]
2012, Mars 30: Devonian to incorporate Islamic garden - By
Brandi Morin - University of Alberta Devonian Gardens
incorporating new and innovative attractions, is about to be put
on the worldwide map. An Islamic garden, the first of its kind,
is now in the design and planning stages. The garden was a
multi-million-dollar gift from his Highness Aga Khan, the global
leader of the Ismaili Muslim community. To date Khan has planted
similar types of gardens, symbolizing peace and harmony all over
the world. [More]
2012 March 19: The first phase of AKU’s new campus
will cost $500 million and will include an academic building
spread over 200 acres. The entire campus will take up about 1,200
acres, with 560 of them for the academic campus and about the
same space for the university residential village. [Read
More here]
2012, February 25:RFI Radio France - Clare Sharkey
- The Nation Media Group was founded by his Highness the Aga Khan
in 1959 and has become the largest independent media house in
East and Central Africa. It includes papers such as The Nation in
Kenya, and has been quoted on the Nairobi Stock Exchange since
the early 1970s. Since 1992, it controls the Ugandan-based The
Monitor and is a major shareholder in several Tanzanian papers.
But the group faces perhaps its largest challenges in expanding
into Rwanda and South Sudan. Tom Mshindi, Managing Director of
the Newspaper division, spoke to RFI. [Interview
and more].
2012, February 20th Mumbay, India - Princess Zahra Aga
Khan arrived in Mumbai on 19 February to visit the Prince Aly
Khan Hospital (PAKH). The hospital is undergoing an expansion of
its facilities, and Princess Zahra is the Chair of the Steering
Committee for its redevelopment. The new vision for the hospital
will see it match the highest international standards of
healthcare, research and medical education. Its new capacity will
enable it to deliver increased access to high quality medical
care for members of the Jamat and the wider community. As Head of
the Social Welfare Department at Aiglemont, Princess Zahra
oversees the work of the Aga Khan Health Services, the Aga Khan
Education Services and Aga Khan Planning and Building Services.
Together with members of the Steering Committee, she visited the
Prince Aly Khan Hospital on the morning of 20 February
2012[News
and Photos of the Hospital visit by Princes Zahra Aga
Khan]
2012, January 31st Paris, France - His Highness the Aga
Khan Urges "Impact Investing" at ULI Europe Conference. -- H.H.
the Aga Khan urged guests at the ULI Europe Annual Conference in
Paris to consider the social and environmental impacts of
investment decisions. His Highness the Aga Khan was recently
named 2011 Laureate of the ULI J.C. Nichols Prize for
Visionaries in Urban Development for his strong leadership of a
stunning variety of development and philanthropic endeavors
largely benefiting poor and marginalized communities in Asia and
Africa. In his speeach he said that the industry would benefit
from “a great deal” of upside potential if it made
investment decisions that pursued a balanced mixed of financial,
social, economic and environment goals. [More
on ULI web site] [Speech
and more]
2012: January 31st and February 1st:Paris, France
- His Highness the Aga Khan to Speak at 2012 Europe Annual
Conference.
2012, January 13th, Ottawa,
Canada - H.H. The Aga Khan received an Honorary Degree from
University of Ottawa. The special Convocation ceremony to award
an honorary doctorate to His Highness the Aga Khan was held at
11am at the Desmarais Building, Room 4101. His HIghness came
around 9:45am and left at 2pm. A crowd of about 70 Ismailis
gathered in the lobby to get a glimpse as he walked to the car.
[More
photos.] [related
News] [Speech]
2012, January 3: H.H. The Aga
Khan and Princess Zahra Aga Khan were at the British Virgin
Islands to attend the Official Grand Opening of the YCCS
Virgin Gorda Clubhouse. Speaking at the official opening ceremony
of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in Virgin Gorda, North Sound,
His Highness stated that the “Government of the BVI is
doing something that we have aspired to see in many countries, in
my official role the Chairman on the Aga Khan Fund for economic
development, which is an impact investor in the developing world,
we have invested massively in the leisure industry in Africa,
Central Asia, western Asia and I must tell you the most important
thing that we look for is an enabling environment.”
“I want to thank the Premier [Dr. D Orlando Smith] and his
Government for making it possible for people to commit to tourism
in this part of the world,” His Highness told over 300
guests, who were in attendance. His Highness and David Johnson of
Victor International have reportedly injected some $100M for the
development of Oil Nut Bay, the marina and the Club House.
Cutting the ribbon for the clubhouse [from left to right]
Governor Boyd McCLeary; His Highness the Aga Khan; David Johnson
of Victor International and Premier Dr. D Orlando Smith, OBE.
Photo: Aneka Edwards/VINO -
[More]