April 17, 2023: Program Scheduling Update

Dear Delegates on the Rule of Law Delegation to the UAE,

I want to update you on the final schedule of activities for your professional exchange meetings in the UAE. 

  1. The final Professional Program schedule has been delayed due to the month-long Muslim holiday, Ramadan, which concludes on Friday.  As the UAE is primarily a Muslim country, this period is observed nationally and thus most people observe the holiday with their families and are out of the office.   Most government offices and universities have had limited staff during this time, impacting our ability to confirm some of the meetings. . The private sector law firms have confirmed your visits, yet we may need to adjust the timing of those meetings to accommodate the courts, government, and academic meetings.

With this background, my team is diligently working to confirm our meetings and we’re working with the U.S. Embassy to do so. Yet we may not have the final schedule until right before you depart, or upon your arrival.  I do anticipate that our meetings and site visits will proceed.  I anticipate that timing will most likely be adjusted, which impacts the scheduling of the accompanying guest schedule, but not the visits. 

Sometimes international travel brings challenges, and we certainly understand your frustration with this delay in receiving the final schedule. We will get it to you as soon as all the visits are confirmed.  In the event that you choose to withdraw from the program, given the delay and uncertainty of the professional program itinerary, I will fully refund your program cost.  I ask that if you wish to withdraw, that you let me know as soon as possible. Your delegation leader, Richard Pena, has been apprised of this delay, and he reminded me of the uncertainties that come with travel to other countries and the need to be flexible. Normally things work out in the end. 

  1. On a separate note- for those planning on arriving early and wishing to stay in the same room at the hotel, please provide the following confirmation number to the hotel staff upon arrival to link your personal reservation with the group reservation.

Group reservation confirmation codes:

First NameLast NameRoom TypeRadisson Blu
Abu Dhabi (22-24 Apr)
Confirmation No.
Crowne Plaza Jumeirah
Dubai (24-28 Apr)
Confirmation No.
1RichardPenaDouble52439575101708
CarolinePena
       
2KennethOwensDouble52439576101709
LenaBrown-Owen
       
3ReneeJeffersonDouble52439578101710
WallaceJefferson
       
4PeterKelly IIDouble52439579101711
SusanBarrett Kelly
       
5DanielMcGlynnTriple52439581101712
TerezinhaMcGlynn
NatashaMcGlynn52439584101715
       
6CharlesBernsteinSingle52439583101714
       
7JaclanelMcFarlandSingle52439585101716
       
8DavidKahnSingle52439586101717

I apologize for the delay and challenges this may present. I will continue to communicate with you throughout the week as the plans continue to unfold.

Please let me know if you have concerns or questions.

My sincere apologies,

Dawn 

Dawn Davis

Director, Citizen Ambassadors Program


202-545-6830 (office)

ddavis@culturalvistas.org

www.citizenambassador.org

Cultural Vistas
1250 H Street NW Suite 300
Washington, DC 20005

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