Page 11 - ELITE PLUS MAGAZINE VOL7

I had the great pleasure of meeting HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn during the congress and book fair, whom I found truly inspirationalform of the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa.As a princess of an Arab country that has maintained an open approach to Western influences, do you regard Westernization as a threat or an opportunity for people in your country?In the UAE, I believe the focus has not been on attempting to Westernize per se, but rather on pursuing progress and development while still remaining true to our own values. Our leadership understands very well that culture is not static, but rather continually evolves and changes with the needs of its people. Some cultural changes have occurred, as is always the case when different cultures meet and are allowed to mingle – but these changes do not have to be seen as a threat. Our emphasis has been to proactively work to ensure that the cultural evolutionthat does occur is beneficial and the changes create opportunities without breaking down our sense of national identity. This is an endeavour in which the UAE has been very successful, as is evident from the real sense of national pride that our citizens espouse.Is there any aspect of Thai culture or a Thai personality well known in the UAE?I had the great pleasure of meeting HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn during the congress and book fair, whom I found truly inspira- tional. Her deep-seated love of books and reading, her accomplishments as a scholar and her commitment to making a real positive change in the world around her, especially in terms of supporting children’s right to learn, make her an amazing role model and someone we can all learn from.Elite+ 9