[#MemoirsOfAmbassador] As I recently passed the two-year mark of being the UAE Ambassador to Finland, this seems a good moment to reflect on the past months, but also set my vision clear for the following year. Next year, 2025, will be a unique one: the UAE and Finland will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties. Lots to think about, lots to plan, and definitely lots to celebrate. I would like to already share with you one of the many initiatives that will be part of this festive occasion: crafting a collection of people-to-people stories to document the human side of Emirati-Finnish relations.
Over the past years, I have witnessed many eye-opening encounters showing that Emiratis and Finns have found their way to connect, communicate, and build relationships. In fact, they have done so since the 1970s, and really accelerated in the 1980s and 1990s when Nokia as a rising global leader in mobile communication, moved Finnish expertise to the UAE as part of its mission to expand its international presence, including in the Middle East region. This led to many firsthand encounters and friendships between individuals from our respective countries, and many of them last until this very day.
Last June, as Eid Al Adha approached, I was in Helsinki and far from my family. To enjoy our community spirit, I traveled more than 400 kilometers to celebrate with an Emirati-Finnish family in Vaasa city. The story they shared was touching and illustrative. Essa is an Emirati who first visited Finland in 1986. Nina is a Finn who moved to the UAE with her family in the 1990s. They met in Dubai and got married, more than thirty years ago. The way they embraced each other’s backgrounds, differences, and similarities, while retaining pride in their roots, is exemplary. Essa, a proud Emirati, showed me around Vaasa as a true local Finn. Nina speaks Arabic and breaths the Emirati culture, embodies our values and traditions, while keeping pride in her hometown.
This made it clear to me that the UAE and Finland are not merely distant nations, but are way more interconnected than often thought. By taking a closer look at our respective values, we realize we have a lot more in common than we may think. Essa and Nina’s story is a testament that you can remain proud of your national identity while truly respecting and tolerating others’.
As I look forward to celebrating the 50th anniversary of UAE-Finnish diplomatic relations in 2025, I hope to discover many similar stories. Stories that bring us closer together and make us embrace our similarities and differences alike.
I invite you all to share with me your stories about the connections between the UAE and Finland, whether personal or professional! And hopefully, by next year, we can reflect and celebrate on those stories all together!
