First International Trip As A Canadian Citizen

Celebrating my first Canadian passport stamp in front of the tallest building in the world - Burj Khalifa in Dubai! 🍁

I haven't been to this side of the world since I left the Middle East to Canada in late 2015.

So, I got my Canadian passport right after my citizenship ceremony in 2020, but when the pandemic started 2 years ago, I decided to not leave the country. Now, finally I got to see the first stamp. This was the first international trip for me as a Canadian citizen and I am thankful for the Canadian Embassy in the United Arab Emirates for inviting me for a very great series of events. Looking forward to showcasing Canadian contributions, values and culture, and our connection with other nations where we have the future in mind.

I was honoured to meet with the Canadian Governor General H. E. Mary Simon, Canadian and Emirati Ministers, Diplomats, Business people and wonderful friends.

I attended the Invest in Canada Reception, Friends of Canada event on Canada Day at Expo 2020 and a panel about Refugees and the Future, opportunities for growth. I was also hosted by the Canadian University in Dubai and we talked about Canada🍁, youth empowerment & resiliency.

The main reason why I came to Dubai is to deliver a keynote speech at the Premiere of our movie during a star-studded event at #Expo2020Dubai with Q&A highlighting kindness, resiliency, the power of community and peace.

I spoke about why making a movie about our story in times of anxiety and bad news everywhere was at such importance at this point in time. As they say, good news is rare these days so every ounce of it should be cherished and fondled like a priceless diamond.
Some of the main messages were to ask everyone to come together, be at service to others and help their neighbors. Until we stop waging wars against each other, until we start talking about what brings us together, until we stop putting profit above people, greed above need and using this planet as a credit card with no limit, until then, may we all never lose our moral compass.

And that's a wrap up, until we meet again Dubai, to all the amazing friends who made this trip unforgettable, thank you and see you all again soon. Sky above, sand below, peace within.