A sound move

Also attending the inauguration was Mirza Al Sayegh, representative of Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Deputy Ruler and UAE Minister of Finance and Industry.

"It is my pleasure to stand before you here representing Shaikh Hamdan, to congratulate you on this new auditorium, the result of great effort and hard work by the Alliance Francaise. We cherish the friendship between France and the UAE, and with Dubai in particular," Mr Al Sayegh said, pointing to the strong economic ties between French firms and the French community in Dubai and the UAE.

Hussain Al Jaziri, Chairman of the Committee of the Alliance Francaise, said there was a real need for a proper auditorium at the Alliance Francaise and thanked Mr Chalhoub for his sponsorship of the new facility. The ribbon cutting ceremony was followed by a classical music concert, the first event on the stage of the auditorium. The show included a trio of classical guitarists and an opera singer.