New Consulate in United Arab Emirates will serve nationals and citizens

St. Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas (right) and National and former National Queen, Ms. Nicole Gumbs, who works and lives in Dubai, United Arab Emirates during the reception in Bubai last Saturday night.

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, DECEMBER 6TH 2012 (CUOPM) – The Consulate of St. Kitts and Nevis in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) is already providing services to nationals and citizens of the twin-island Federation.“

“What we are doing today is having the reception ceremony to mark this special occasion,” said St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas during a reception he hosted while on a visit to the United Arab Emirates last Saturday.

Prime Minister Douglas in a brief address stated that the Consulate is important in laying the foundation for a partnership that will bring significant development to the people in general and St. Kitts and Nevis in particular.

He thanked the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the United Arab Emirates for all the assistance in ensuring a St. Kitts and Nevis presence in Dubai.

“I want to thank the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for working very closely with us, to have realized our particular dream and our objectives to be present here to represent our nationals and citizens. I also want to thank my own Cabinet colleagues for the bold decision that it took several years ago firstly to establish the relationship and then the decision to have this Consulate,” Prime Minister Douglas told persons at the reception.

He also commended the Ministry of Foreign Affairs led by the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Hon. Sam Condor and the Permanent Secretary Mr. Elvis Newton for the tremendous response.

(Background) St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas (left), Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Elvis Newton (c) and Consul General, Ms. Alex Woodley in Dubai.

He also paid tribute to the pioneers of the Citizenship by Investment Programme. “Those who created and crafted the Citizenship program in the first instance. Those who were able to market it and promote it and who brought to the programme when they introduced not only the real estate option which has been there from since 1984, but who brought the Sugar Industry Diversification Foundation as an alternative investment vehicle through which citizenship can be obtained,” said Prime Minister Douglas.

Dr. Douglas recognised the service providers who are in St. Kitts and Nevis “because without them the collaboration with the service providers here could not have taken place.”

“This collaborative effort has really driven the investment in our country and to a large extent, is responsible for the improvement in the quality of life of our people. We are here as the Consul General to serve our nationals and citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis who are not only here in the UAE, but who are situated globally and who would have access to this office, whether they are here are abroad and also to facilitate the visitors who may wish to come into our country in the future,” said Prime Minister Douglas.

“Our intention is to help to promote our country, to be better able to serve you our nationals who are working or residing here as well as our citizens who are here and who may be globally located,” he said.

Group of invited guests and citizens at the reception on Saturday in Dubai. (Photos by Erasmus Williams)

Prime Minister Douglas said the Consul General, Ms. Alex Woodley, comes amply qualified as she as not only been in the foreign ministry for several years as Deputy Consul General in New York Mission, but she is also qualified academically.

In brief remarks, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Elvis Newton noted that the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis took the decision in 2008 to establish a presence in the United Arab Emirates because of the need to expand its traditional relationships beyond the United States of America, the United Kingdom, other countries in Europe and elsewhere which share traditional relationships.

“So this function this evening, is really an extension of that policy decision taken by the government. The government is very much appreciative of the support that we continue to receive from our nationals who live in this part of the world, and we thought that it was important for us to provide you with efficient responsive services and that is what this office will do,” said Mr. Newton.