Canadian Business Council (CBC) Abu Dhabi held its annual Maple Leaf Ball (MLB) 2018 under the patronage of H. E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, UAE Cabinet Member and Minister of Tolerance. The event gathered prominent members of Emirati and Canadian government and business community, including H. E. Masud Hussain, Ambassador of Canada to the UAE, H. E. Emmanuel Kamarianakis, Consul General of Canada to the UAE, Mr. Musabbeh Al Kaabi, Co-Chair of Canada UAE Business Council (CUBC) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Mubadala Petroleum and Petrochemicals, and Mr. Gregory Zoughbi, Chairman of CBC Abu Dhabi.

H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, UAE Cabinet Member and Minister of Tolerance

H. E. Sheikh Nahayan spoke of the importance of tolerance and his role as the Minister of Tolerance. He said “In the UAE, tolerance is not simply enduring the existence of opinions, ideas, behaviors or practices that do not concur with your own. It is about recognizing, respecting and embracing diversity. It is about being secure in your own culture and beliefs, so that you respond to what is different with curiosity and compassion rather than with fear and intolerance. To be tolerant we need to be genuinely concerned for the welfare of our fellow human beings, and to take action based on those concerns.”

H. E. Sheikh Nahayan also emphasized that “as a country, Canada is a shining example of tolerance”. He added that Canadians “share the respect for diversity expressed by the His Highness the President, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahayan, who has said: ‘… cultural and human diversity [is] a key engine for sustainable development and a means for deepening the culture of openness, dialogue, communication and coexistence, and the denunciation of intolerance, extremism, and intellectual isolation.’”

He went on emphasize the contributions that Canadians made to the UAE. He said: “Canadians were among the first group of talented and experienced experts welcomed from abroad by our nation’s founder, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.  As we celebrate the centennial of his birth in this Year of Zayed, we reflect on his achievements and realize that Canadians and people like you were critical to our development.”

H.E. Masud Husain, Ambassador of Canada to the UAE

Ambassador of Canada to the UAE, His Excellency Masud Husain, extended his thanks to the host nation UAE. He also thanked Sheikh Nahayan and called him a great friend of Canada. Ambassador Husain spoke of the big achievements in growing the Canada-UAE relationship over the past several years, and he recognized the contributions of his colleague, H. E. Emmanuel Kamarianakis, towards this regard. He also thanked the Emirati and Canadian communities, including CBC board members and staff. Ambassador Husain concluded by emphasizing that “2018 is the Year of Zayed. It is also the year where the UAE-Canada relationship will reach a new high level.”

Gregory Zoughbi, Chairman of Canadian Business Council (CBC) Abu Dhabi

Mr. Gregory Zoughbi, Chairman of CBC Abu Dhabi, welcomed Sheikh Nahayan and thanked him for his continued patronage of CBC’s annual MLB event. He quoted the UAE’s founding father and visionary, Sheikh Zayed Al Nahyan, who said “… those who come to us are welcome”, therefore setting the vision for the UAE to become the symbol of “tolerance, multiculturism, diversity and inclusion” that it is today. Mr. Zoughbi added that “such shared values provide the foundation for our countries’ successes and joint prosperity. UAE’s founding father and Canada’s first Prime Minister, Sir John MacDonald, both envisioned the UAE and Canada becoming two of the greatest countries in the world. Today, their visions are a reality. At the Canadian Business Council (CBC) Abu Dhabi, we are proud to continue serving as a catalyst for our joint prosperity.”

From left to right: H.E. Masud Husain, Ambassador of Canada to the UAE, H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, UAE Cabinet Member and Minister of Tolerance, Gregory Zoughbi, Chairman of Canadian Business Council (CBC) Abu Dhabi

The event’s Master of Ceremony (MC) was Hans Fraikin, Board Member and Secretary of the Board who initiated the event by announcing the program for the evening and silent auction items prizes, courtesy of the sponsors and donors. The event sponsors were Platinum sponsor PAL Aerospace, Silver sponsor Air Canada, and Bronze sponsors Abu Dhabi Grammar School (ADGS) and Careem. National anthems of the UAE and Canada were played by the student orchestra of the Canadian International School (CIS). Students at Abu Dhabi Grammar School (ADGS), Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, and New York University (NYU) Abu Dhabi also volunteered for the event. Corporate attendees included CBC Platinum member, Bank of Montreal (BMO).

From left to right: Ronan Caillo, Counselor(Commercial) of Embassy of Canada to the UAE, Aiham Alkhatib, Board Member and Head of Marketing and Communications Committee, James Wilson, Board Member and Head of Membership, Brij Bali, Board Member and Treasurer, Carol Milne, Vice Chair and Head of Events Committee, H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, UAE Cabinet Member and Minister of Tolerance, Laila Elfenne, H.E. Masud Husain, Ambassador of Canada to the UAE, Gregory Zoughbi, Chairman of CBC Abu Dhabi, Rana Kabbara, Board Member and Head of Administration Committee, Hans Fraikin, Board Member and Secretary / Inter-council Liason, and Dareen Zoughbi

About CBC

Canadian Business Council (CBC) Abu Dhabi is a membership-based organization that represents Canadian business people and companies in Canada and in the United Arab Emirates. CBC hosts many business events and supports its members to create business opportunities in the United Arab Emirates and Canada through a wide network of relationships and contacts in both countries. CBC members includes businesspeople that work in UAE-based companies and Canadian companies and represent them in the UAE. CBC members share common interests in creating excellent business relations and to strengthen trade relations between the UAE and Canada.