Dubai: France officially joined the Country in Residence program in AREA 2071, becoming the fifth country to join the initiative which was announced by the Dubai Future Foundation last February.
It was announced that France joined the program during a meeting at AREA 2071 attended by His Excellency Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence and Deputy Managing Director of Dubai Future Foundation, His Excellency Mr. Ludovic Pouille, French Ambassador to the UAE, Her Excellency Ms. Raja Rabia, French Consul General in Dubai and the Northern Emirates as well as Mr Frédéric Rossi, Deputy CEO of Business France. France joining the Country in Residence program was made through a Memorandum of Understanding which was signed by His Excellency Khalfan Juma Belhoul, CEO of Dubai Future
Foundation and Mr Geoffroy Bunetel, President of the French Business Council.
His Excellency Omar Sultan Al Olama highlighted that the UAE-French relations are witnessing strong ties and rapid developments in various sectors, including culture, science, economy and technology, indicating the importance of sharing knowledge and best practices as well as providing an environment that promotes collaboration and open communication, hence strengthening the relations between both countries. “Having France join AREA 2071’s Countries in Residence program is a strong boost for emerging startups in both France and the UAE. With this partnership, support will be extended to innovators and entrepreneurs and great business opportunities will arise benefitting the advancement of both countries in innovation and technologies of the fourth Industrial Revolution.” His Excellency said.
His Excellency Mr.Ludovic Pouille, French Ambassador to the UAE said : “This signing brings a new layer to the already exceptional partnership between France and the UAE. The two vibrant tech ecosystems of France and Dubai are now connected and this will bring about new cooperation. I expect a significant increase of French Tech companies in Dubai in the coming years.”
Founded in October 2016, the French Tech Dubai-UAE community is part of the worldwide French Tech movement, an entrepreneurial initiative supported by the French government, aiming at reinforcing the French technology and strat-up ecosystem, both in France and abroad. More than 30 start-ups are currently affiliated to the French Tech Dubai community.
Launched under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Dubai Future Foundation, the initiative is seen as an innovative model of global collaboration that works towards anticipating and designing the future as well as accelerating the process of innovation, successfully enabling the adoption of the Fourth Industrial Revolution
Estonia, South Korea, New Zealand and Latvia joined the Country in Residence program earlier this year during their participation at the World Government Summit in February. The Program provides partner countries with direct access to government, private sectors, entrepreneurs and trade, diplomatic and cultural missions, in addition to representative offices and investment delegations in AREA 2071. It will also contribute to the creation of a global environment based on the development of future concepts and solutions, and the exchange of the successful experiences and practices in various sectors of the future.