The UAE’s ambassador to France, Ali Abdullah Al Ahmed, has been appointed the emirates’ permanent delegate to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco). Mr Al Ahmed and Audrey Azoulay, director general of the Unesco discussed bilateral relations after the appointment.<br/> Noura Al Kaabi, UAE's minister of culture and knowledge development said, Mr Al Ahmed's appointment will help enhance ties with the Unesco and member states. It will also help bolster the UAE's cultural presence in international organisations. "The UAE's appointment to the Unesco's executive board last November has reflected an acknowledgement for the country's efforts and initiatives in the fields of culture, science and education," said Ms Al Kaabi, who is also the chair of the National Commission for Education, Culture and Science. "It also mirrored the UAE’s significant role through supporting and financing programmes provided for many cultural, heritage and creative projects." The UAE and the UN body have carried out several joint projects. "We have strategic partnerships with the Unesco in many areas and the latest is an agreement to reconstruct the Our Lady of the Hour Church, the Al Tahira Church, the Great Mosque of al-Nuri and its Humpback Lighthouse (al-Hadba), and the Unesco-Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Prize for outstanding practice and performance in enhancing the effectiveness of teachers," said Mr Al Ahmed. The UAE is ranked sixth on Unesco’s list of the largest donor countries. One of the country's most prominent educational projects is the Hamdan Fund to Support the Unesco. The educational initiatives have invested $2.2 million, and have benefited more than 70 countries around the world. In addition to working as UAE’s ambassador to France and Germany, Mr Al Ahmed had also worked as the director of European affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. Here, he was responsible for bilateral relations between the UAE and European countries. Before joining diplomatic work, Mr Al Ahmed held important positions in the media and telecommunication sectors in the UAE. Between 2008 and 2012, he was Etisalat UAE's chief corporate communications officer. Mr Al Ahmed holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the Eastern Washington University in the US, and a master’s degree in strategic and security studies from the National Defence College in the UAE.
