GORD held a welcoming ceremony for new UK Ambassador Mr Michael ONeill
GORD, the authority for knowledge on sustainability in the MENA region, held on July 10, 2012, a welcoming ceremony for the new UK Ambassador Mr. Michael O'Neill, and discussed topics related to mutual cooperation on issues such as; facilitating research opportunities in collaboration with UK universities, sharing expertise and building new collaboration for sustainable urban development.
Dr. Yousef Mohammed Al Horr, Founding Chairman of GORD discussed the importance of such joint initiatives and activities saying that GORD , through initiatives like this, is pursuing its core aims of moving towards a knowledge economy and building a transfer bridge between the UK and Qatar sharing best practices and world-class scientists and qualified researchers in their respective fields.
He also added that joining efforts with UK will help overcome challenges and eventually remove barriers to further dimensions in order to build a future for the global community that is secure and sustainable.
At the same time, UK Ambassador Mr. Michael O’Neill expressed his enthusiasm to meet with GORD’s team saying: “I was delighted to visit GORD for the first time, and to hear from Dr. Yousef Al Horr and his colleagues about GORD’s work on sustainable development, design and construction. The selection of a British architect for GORD’s Eco Villa project, and GORD’s strong research links with a number of UK universities, are an important strand of the forward-looking partnership between Qatar and the United Kingdom. The British Embassy will continue to support further strengthening of these links, to share expertise and to build new collaboration for sustainable urban development.”
“At a broader level, Qatar has firmly established itself over recent years as a leading actor on the most pressing regional and global issues, and as a major international economic player”, added UK Ambassador.
Finally, Dr. Al Horr said that GORD, being an advocate for sustainability in the fields of research and training and development respectively, is looking forward to more collaborations between the two countries.