Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s recent visit to Abu Dhabi, this September of 2022, marked the 50th year of a solid partnership between the nations of Germany and the United Arab Emirates based on shared values and similar interests. This story began back in 1972, after half a year of UAE’s birth. In 2004, the UAE and Germany signed a strategic partnership, which was updated and upgraded during H.E. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s visit to Berlin in 2019 and now sees it further enhanced by Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visit.
The stark differences between the nations have not been a source of concern for the countries have worked together on larger goals of peace, stability, and peaceful conflict resolution in both regions and other parts of the world. In the economic field, the two countries share a strong commitment to technology and innovation as well as ambitious goals to make the green transition happen by boosting energy efficiency and renewable energies – for the benefit of society as a whole.
While international relations are championed, the countries work together to bolster cultural relations. The UAE follows a policy of tolerance and openness. The UAE is a multicultural, inclusive state, just as Germany is today. These complementary experiences have led to the development of a WE (and a WE-feeling), a sense of togetherness in bilateral relations.
WE is under this heading that the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Dubai announced the launch of a new cultural project this year, which aims to further intensify relations between the UAE and Germany, with the help of German artist Petra Kaltenbach, who is living in Dubai.
The artworks will be based on the idea of transformation and the definition of a partnership. WE means to reach goals and build ideals together and experience them together as well.
Petra Kaltenbach is the right choice, by being a multi-award-winning artist and curator who originates in Germany. She is multi-faceted and fuses technology, graphic design, videography, and fine art to create new-age contemporary art.
“As an artist, I am very excited that the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Dubai has offered me to use my creativity on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the two countries. It is a great honour and pleasure for me to express this relationship, in the project “WE”, on an artistic level and to present these artworks in the 7 Emirates”, says Petra Kaltenbach.