Seychelles' President Wavel Ramkalawan has expressed profound gratitude to the United Arab Emirates for all the assistance and support provided to the island nation.

State House said in a press communique on Thursday that Ramkalawan met with the Vice-President of the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum,  on the margins of the World Government Summit in Dubai.

The two leaders took the opportunity to discuss the long-standing friendship between Seychelles and the UAE and convey sincere wishes to further strengthen the excellent diplomatic ties.

Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, and the UAE established relations in 1982. Over the past four decades, the Arab nation has Seychelles in various fields in health, housing, education, and finance, among others.

Ramkalawan also made several visits and held bilateral discussions on the sidelines of the World Government Summit.

He visited the Smart Police Station, which is the first integrated interactive self-service police station in the world that allows members of the community to apply for Dubai Police services that are provided at traditional police stations. The unmanned station provides smart services like registering a criminal report, delivery of found materials, and all requests of certificates and permits.

Ramkalawan visited the Smart Police Station. (State House) Photo License: CC-BY

The visit was an opportunity to discuss possible examples of some similar electronic self-services that could potentially be implemented in Seychelles in the foreseeable future.

Another visit was made to the Museum of the Future, an exhibition space for innovative and futuristic ideologies, services, and products. The museum, which is seen as a gateway to a future world, was crafted by visionary designers, artists, and filmmakers, and combines elements of the exhibition, immersive theatre, and themed attractions.

Additionally, Ramkalawan held bilateral talks with the President of the Central African Republic, Professor Faustin-Archange Touadéra. The two leaders discussed potential areas of cooperation and agreed to enhance relations for both countries' benefit.

Discussions were also held with Group 42 (G42), an artificial intelligence and cloud computing company,  for the possible acceleration of the Seychelles' government's digitalisation agenda. More discussions are expected to take place during the coming months to further explore potential implementation prospects for Seychelles.