The UAE has participated in the 150th anniversary celebration of the founding of International Telecommunication Union, ITU, which was held in Geneva.

Mohammed Ahmed Al Qamzi, Chairman of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, TRA, and Head of the UAE delegation, highlighted the cooperation and joint action between the UAE and the International Telecommunication Union, particularly since its accession to the Union in 1972, in a speech during the ceremony.

Al Qamzi added that the UAE was, and still is, one of influential countries in the march of the ITU and its relationship with the Union was based on the country's culture based on human interaction, sharing and openness to others for the benefit of common interests. He emphasised the desire to strengthen this relationship to wider and deeper horizons and says that the UAE is looking forward to the next ITU Plenipotentiary Conference, which will be held in 2018.

Al Qamzi shed light on the smart government and smart city projects, noting that the International Telecommunication Union recognised Dubai as the first city in the world to apply indicators of smart city performance.

Obaid Salem Al Za'abi, the UAE Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, said, "Today, as we are celebrating the passage of 150 years since the ITU's foundation, we are proud of the high position attained by the UAE in the international arena in general, which reflects the vision of our wise leadership, as well as the spirit of harmony and hard work by the sons of this country, whether those who are working day and night inside or as representatives of the state and its cadres abroad, who hold in their hearts their love for the UAE leadership and its people, translating that love through strategies and programmes that preserve the global prestige of the country."