The Embassy of Malta in the UAE, this year, made sure that the year 2020 is not only remembered for the COVID-19 restrictions but also for the effort made to “think outside the box” and use every tool at our disposal to reach out to the community which hosts our Mission.

All in all, the overarching objective was to place Malta on the map in the UAE.

Amid restrictions and regulations, the Embassy embarked on a Cake and Cookie Diplomacy to bring Malta into every Ministry, every Foreign Embassy and International Organisation in the UAE, and into the offices of every contact that the Embassy has established to date. If that was not enough, the Ambassador of Malta in the UAE, H.E. Maria Camilleri Calleja, accompanied the Consul in Abu Dhabi, Mr Duncan Psaila, also met with the Maltese Diaspora in Abu Dhabi as well as Maltese citizens, residing and working in Dubai. These encounters in small groups, respective of the UAE’s COVID-19 regulations, took place on 19, 20 and 22 September 2020.

On 21 September 2020, Ambassador Maria Camilleri Calleja delivered – by virtual means – the Malta Day speech in the online presence of Guest-of-Honour H.E. Ahmed Ali Al-Sayegh, Minister of State, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Global Markets and UAE G20 Sherpa; H.E. Shihab AL-Faheem, Chief of Protocol; as well as Ambassador of the European Union and North African countries. The Consul-General of Malta in Dubai and the management of AVIAREPS-Middle East, representing Malta Tourism Authority – were also present for the online event.

H.E. Al-Sayegh conveyed the good wish of the UAE authorities to the President and the People of the Republic of Malta, while Ambassador Camilleri Calleja thanked the authorities for their interface with Malta over the past 2 decades and augured that the contacts that are being newly-reviewed by the Embassy will bear fruit at the earliest possible for the benefit of the people of the two countries.

Two more days – 23rd and 24th September 2020 – were dedicated to the commercial aspect whereby Ambassador Camilleri Calleja was invited to visit Maltese companies which made it big in the UAE and therefore have been flag-bearers for Malta’s hard-working people for quiet some time. The companies visited were MEDSERV-METS in Sharjah; while in Dubai, we met ALL DETAILS (media consultancy); CO-CREATE PLUS (business development consultancy); RISC INSTITUTE (insurance and risk management training institute); ABELA & CO (a Lebanese food production company with Maltese roots and Maltese employees). Ambassador Camilleri Calleja praised these companies for their entrepreneurship and innovative way of dealing with COVID-19 to be able to carry on with their commercial activities.

Last but certainly not least, the Embassy wishes to thank the indefatigable assistance of AVIAREPS-MIDDLE EAST for its assistance with reaching out to the UAE Media as well and contact in the Trade Trade and Influencers in the country.

The Media Outreach included no less than ten publications in English and in Arabic of an article meant to advertise Malta in the UAE entitled “THIS IS MALTA! SOMETHING NEW…” Our work continues!