Wavel Ramkalawan, President of Seychelles, was briefed by a UAE government delegation on the progress of bilateral cooperation between the UAE and Seychelles in government work and witnessed the launch of the second cohort of the Seychelles Executive Leadership Programme, developed in collaboration with the UAE Government.
During a meeting with the UAE delegation from the Government Experience Exchange Office (GEEO) of the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs, President Ramkalawan praised the achievements in modernising government operations and expressed hope to further enhance cooperation for the benefit of both nations.
He highlighted the importance of building the capacities of Seychelles’ government personnel in collaboration with the UAE to strengthen their roles in leading national development.
Abdullah Nasser Lootah, Deputy Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Competitiveness and Knowledge Exchange, affirmed the UAE’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with Seychelles. He noted that knowledge exchange, capacity building, and advancing government models are key to the UAE’s leadership vision for fostering international partnerships that benefit societies and secure future opportunities.
President Ramkalawan attended the launch of the Seychelles Executive Leadership Programme, inspired by the UAE’s model for government leadership. The event was attended by Lootah and Ahmed Saeed Rashed AlHumaid Alneyadi, Chargé d’Affaires at the UAE Embassy in Seychelles.
Key Seychelles officials present included Vice President Ahmed Afif, Minister of Finance Naadir Hassan, Minister of Health Peggy Vidot, Minister of Fisheries and the Blue Economy Jean-François Ferrari, and Minister of Youth, Sports and Family Marie-Celine Zialor.
The second cohort of the programme includes 30 participants, including Directors-General and Executive Directors from various government entities, and covers six modules: government accelerators, future foresight, policy and strategy design, digital transformation, government innovation, and agile leadership.
The programme aims to equip participants with specialised skills and build leadership capacities to improve government performance by enhancing their leadership and management abilities, as well as introducing them to innovative leadership practices to contribute to national development efforts.
The UAE delegation held a series of meetings with ministers and officials from the Seychelles Government to discuss the progress and future prospects of the strategic partnership.
These meetings included discussions with Minister of Finance Naadir Hassan, Minister of Health Peggy Vidot, Minister of Youth, Sports and Family Marie-Celine Zialor, Minister of Lands and Housing Billy Rangasamy, Minister of Employment and Social Affairs Patricia Francourt, and Commissioner of Police Ted Barbe.
The delegation, alongside Ministers Rangasamy and Hassan, also visited the site of the Government Services Centre and Government Accelerators project in Seychelles, which is a key outcome of the UAE-Seychelles partnership.
The strategic partnership in government modernisation was launched during the World Government Summit 2022 through an agreement signed by Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, UAE Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Devika Vidot, Seychelles Minister of Investment, Entrepreneurship and Industry.
The partnership covers capacity building, civil service, government services, competitiveness, government accelerators, policy and strategy development, the financial sector, urban planning, and government performance.