Dubai: His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on Wednesday visited an exhibition of the New Shanghai models.
Shaikh Mohammad was briefed on the golden model, which represents the most important landmarks of the modern city.
He also saw a huge model of the whole city, and heard a briefing on the most important construction and development projects to be implemented until 2020 as part of the plan to upgrade the city's infrastructure.
Shaikh Mohammad viewed expansion and modernisation plans of the Shanghai International Port, and a model of Shanghai Airport when it was first established in 1922 and another model of the new airport, which will be complete in 2015.
Shaikh Mohammad and the accompanying delegation was received by Han Zheng, Mayor of Shanghai, who welcomed the leader on behalf of the 19 million residents of Shanghai, the city described by its mayor as Dubai's counterpart in development.
Zheng expressed his admiration of Dubai through what he had seen and heard, and expressed hope to visit the UAE and Dubai, which is famous for its skyscrapers and the vision of its ruler.
The mayor wished Shaikh Mohammad's visit to China would mark a new beginning of wider cooperation between Dubai and Shanghai, and highlighted the similarities between the two cities such as the creek in Dubai and the river in Shanghai, which divide the two cities, besides the open, multicultural policies in both cities.
"We want to learn from Dubai's experience and benefit from its expertise in all fields," Zheng said.
Shaikh Mohammad thanked the mayor for the warm welcome and said UAE-China relations are deep-rooted and developed noticeably since the visit of the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan to China in 1990.
The UAE Vice-President stressed that there are great opportunities that require both countries to cement their friendship and cooperation and build a strategic partnership.
Shaikh Mohammad said both countries must benefit from each other's capabilities.
