Berlin: With a festive gathering on its premises, the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Berlin celebrated the initiation of the UAE Alumni Association. The newly created group will serve as a networking platform for people currently living in Germany who previously worked and lived in the UAE to facilitate an exchange of professional and personal experiences with other former residents.

To His Excellency Ahmed Alattar, Ambassador of the UAE to Germany, the creation of the UAE Alumni Association was a project of utmost personal importance: “I am delighted to be able to meet so many people today who once called or are still calling the UAE their home,” he said at the beginning of the networking event. “You have lived in the UAE, and some of you have raised your family in the UAE, so we truly appreciate you and the millions like you who have lived and worked in the UAE,” the Ambassador continued.

Calls for participation in the weeks leading up to the first gathering were met with sincere enthusiasm by former residents. Many also brought their partners, some of whom they met while working in the UAE. Attendees included those who had worked in hotels and gastronomy, consulting, telecommunication, media, the public sector, the diplomatic service, and creative industries.

“I worked in the Emirates for 15 years,” a participant said during the event. “What I really always liked about the UAE is its international aspect. We are an international family; my wife is French, (…) and my children have made friends from the entire world.”

Other attendees had similar fond memories of the UAE: “All of these different nationalities that come together in one place and strive to understand each other, to communicate, to create something new together – that, in my opinion, is unparalleled and unique in the world.”

The UAE Alumni Association will become a regular part of the Embassy’s annual programming.

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation