Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, awarded the Order of Zayed to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President of the UAE, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, awarded the Order of Zayed to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President of the UAE, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs.
The honor recognized their pivotal role in the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), held in the UAE.
In appreciation of their contributions to the conference, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan presented the Order of the Union to Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi and National Security Advisor; Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Finance; Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairperson of the national committee overseeing COP28; Sheikha Maryam bint Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairperson of the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation; Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and President of COP28; and Mohammed Abdullah Al Ghanim, Chairman of the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources and Strategic Narratives.
Honoring the UAE negotiating team
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan also honored the UAE negotiating team at COP28 alongside members of the conference's presidency office by awarding them the Second Zayed Medal of the first class.
On another note, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan also awarded Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemi, Minister of State for International Cooperation, the Order of the Union in appreciation of her efforts in the Expo Dubai 2020.
During the honoring ceremony held at the Etihad Hotel in Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed congratulated all the COP28 teams on the success of the conference, praising their role in organizing it and its honorable outcome, reflecting the country's status in organizing such international events, in addition to reaching the historic "UAE Agreement" that marked a radical turning point in global climate action.
Organizational and negotiation skills
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed expressed his pride in the honored teams for their demonstrated organizational and negotiation skills, which required comprehensive knowledge and awareness of diplomacy, law, and climate policies, and their ability to work under pressures and communicate with various cultures to bridge differing viewpoints among the 198 parties, contributing to consensus in decisions and outputs.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed stated that the conference's success was a result of cooperation and the concerted efforts of various entities, institutions, national bodies, and individuals, embodying the keenness to enhance the country's pivotal global role in addressing climate change and joint global action in this vital and strategic field, alongside its firm commitment to promoting sustainability concepts.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed said: "We received, along with my brother Mohammed bin Rashid, the UAE negotiating team and the COP28 conference presidency office and organizers, and we praised their efforts, expertise, and hard work in the success of the conference and the historic UAE Agreement, presenting a positive image of the country and its people to the world."
He added: "The UAE is committed to climate action and building partnerships for the good of the planet and the future generations."
Pride and happiness
On their part, the honorees expressed their pride and happiness at the honoring and thanked Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed for the support they received from the wise leadership in facilitating their tasks during the conference.
They also thanked the COP28 conference presidency for preparing them for this role and providing them with a historic opportunity to represent the country and achieve an accomplishment that adds to its achievements and bears its name, represented by the UAE Agreement.
At the end of the honoring ceremony, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed took commemorative photos with all the honorees and COP28 teams.
