Abu Dhabi, November 12 2019 – His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, has commended the naming of one of the main streets on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi as ‘Jacques Chirac Street’ in honour of the late French President and friend of the UAE.
HH Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Member of The Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman of The Abu Dhabi Executive Office, inaugurated Jacques Chirac Street in the presence of the late French President’s daughter Claude Chirac, together with the French Ambassador to the UAE, Mr. Ludovic Pouille, and the UAE Ambassador to France, Mr. Ali Abdullah Al Ahmed, and the His Excellency Falah Mohammed Al Ahbabi, Chairman of the Department of Urban Planning and Municipalities – Abu Dhabi and His Excellency Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi.
Jacques Chirac Street is one of Saadiyat Island’s busiest main streets. The four-kilometre street stretches from Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Bridge to the Louvre Abu Dhabi, a museum that symbolises the deep historical ties between the UAE and France and serves as a beacon of cultural exchange and understanding between the Middle East and the western world.
The newly inaugurated street is beautifully designed with decorative landscaping on either side and offers views of the Louvre Museum and Saadiyat Lighthouse. Every year, it hosts a large number of visitors and tourists from within the UAE and abroad, making it one of the liveliest streets on Saadiyat Island.
The UAE Ambassador to France, Ali Abdullah Al Ahmad, stated in his speech that, “Jacques Chirac, and the founder of the nation, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, both envisaged a day on which the UAE and France would both lead the moral responsibility of bringing people together through inclusivity and tolerance. Their memory and vision live on immortally through the fruits and beacons that have emerged from this togetherness and cooperation.”
The French Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, M.Ludovic Pouille, said: “Jacques Chirac was a strong promoter of the strategic partnership between France and the United Arab Emirates. He was convinced of the role of this partnership for regional and global stability and continuously worked to strengthen it. By naming this street “Jacques Chirac”, it is a strong tribute and a highly symbolic gesture to the statesman and his actions, as well as to his essential contribution to the bilateral relationship.”
Commenting on the inauguration, His Excellency Falah Mohammed Al Ahbabi, Chariman of the Department of Urban Planning and Municipalities, stated, “The inauguration of Jacques Chirac Street expresses our leaders’ deep respect for the late President, as well as their appreciation for his stance towards the UAE on a regional and international level, and outstanding achievements in support of peace and stability in the Middle East and North Africa.”
“The naming of the street is deeply symbolic on both a cultural and human level. Through this inauguration, the leaders of the UAE seek to emphasize the importance of cultural exchange and to celebrate and promote peace and tolerance among nations,” he added.