A word from Mélanie Martini-Mareel, Alliance Fran?aise Dubai Director

Last Wednesday, we hosted a little gathering with Alliance Fran?aise partners and the board of members for my farewell. My successor Sa?d Nourine joined us for the occasion. The atmosphere was very joyful, everyone was chatting, and the team was giving Said a tour of the building; I could hear them laugh together as newfound friends. I looked at the faces of people I know and hold dear and realized that each was from a very different horizon. That Alliance Fran?aise had built a platform for collaboration and diversity, which is precisely our mission. I felt utter joy, and the sadness of leaving vanished completely.

These 3 years at the head of Alliance Fran?aise Dubai have not been the easiest in my career, as a little virus decided to play spoilsport, unsettling and transforming the education field for good. But, I have never learned so much about myself as a person and a professional, discovering hidden strengths and how deep our commitment to our ideal, and never met so many amazing people from all horizons, entrepreneurs, educators, artists, diplomats, students… and worked with an outstanding team!

I will not remember Dubai for fancy parties, lamé dresses, and high skyscrapers. But, I will take with me the energy from this country, the city, and above all, from all the people I had the privilege to work with.

A heartfelt appreciation to our partners & collaborator:
        

Expo 2020 Dubai ,?Grow Digital Services ,?ATL ,?Frello ,?PrepMyFuture ,?Institut Fran?ais UAE ,?France Dubai 2020 ,?French Social Club ,?CCI France UAE ,?ZeeArts ,?Awex ,?TV5MONDE ,?Dubai Madame ,?Le Petit Journal UN ESCO,?Sorbonne University Festival Nature Namur , La Fresque du Climat ,?The SeaCleaners ,?OIF ,?Museum of the Americas ,?Alex Misseri , ?Laura Pardoe , Jack Pascoe ,?Neeraj Shetty ,?Ronita Almeida ,?Hélo?se Blanchong ,?Micka?l Ruellan, ? Mohamed Beldjoudi, ?Franck Trouilloud , ?Chloé Ramamonjisoa ,?Fabrice Placet ,?Marc Cerdan, ?Jean-Fran?ois Hans ,?Agnes Lopez-Cruz ,?Florence Castel ,?Julie Ageron, ?Justine Weulersse ,?Flora Jordi ,?Malika Touddimte ,?Nabil B. ,?Feurat Alani , Stephane Brismontier ,?Joseph Terterian ,?Cecile Herman ,?Xavier Cornille ,?Bérengère Roux ,?Soufiane Bensaid ,?Anaelle Guillen Meyer ,?Stephane Ferrault , Vanessa Gilles ,?Anne Kinart, ?Laurence Degoudenne , Herve Le Phuez ,?Olivier Cantagrel , ?Lucie Lestang-Bonnard ,?Nathalie Van de Vrede , Anouchka de Marigny , Sandrine Bontems ,?Karine Germoni ,?Eric Schaffner ,? Maxime Zecchini, ?Fabienne Conrad, Laurent Koller , Kyra Dupont ,?Clement Calixte, ?Zaahirah Muthy ,?Geraldine Lenogue ,?Fabrice Vallez , ?Soraya Sikander , ?Stephanie Neville ,?Huma Shoaib , Anastasie Akibode , Bénédicte Gimonnet , Cathy Deniset ,?Mathilde Magnier-Rabaté , William Gueraiche ,?Anne Cabanel ,?Laure Ramieri, ?Laurent Rigaud , Najat Makki, FCC, Kristina Lecanuet, Hind Mezaina, Mary Malifarges, IWPA, Hercules Theodoros, Anastasie Akibode, Huma Shoaib, Stephanie Neville, Ana Semaan, Laura Fabbri, Anja Heinert, & Nabaa Farah Lina, Madame Magazine & Paola Balbi,

Thank you to all colleagues at the Consulate General and the Embassy:
        

HE Ludovic Pouille ,?HE Xavier Chatel ,?HE Raja Rabia,?HE Nathalie Kennedy, Hugo Henry-Ceylan , Anne Douaire , Arnaud Morand , Nathalie Choplain , Amélie Lombardini , Valérie Fouques , Julie Francès , Rime Hmito , Fanon Martin , Benedicte Meyssan , Hakim el Khdimi , Salvador Fernandez, Linda de Sainte Marie, Helene Moreno, Aurélie Heuzé, Marie Laure Charrier, Zohra Ait el Jamar, & Darliss Ugonowali.

A reverence to all our colleagues from educational institutions:
        

Etienne Agostini , Bertrand Malifarges, Florence Bonnet , AFLEC , LFIGP , Pascal Charléry , Laurent Lenogue , Sandrine Demangeat , LLFP, Pierre-Emmanuel Girod, Lycée Fran?ais Jean Mermoz , Jean-Claude Croisé, Thomas Dentinger , NAS Academy , Dunecrest American School ,Tamara Hostal , ESMOD , SISD , JBS, Mohammed Dib , Jean-Christophe Weber, Joseph Salamé & Betty Moleraot.

My gratitude to the board members, truly exceptional people I am so 
honored to have worked with: 
        

Hussain Al Jaziri, Patrick Chalhoub , Dhouha Louati, Philippe Blanchard , Tala Badri, Cyril Zammit, Ayesha Sultan & Isabelle Louis.

PS: For the ones who want to follow my adventure; here is my blog documenting our move to a French hamlet:?https://dubaiuzes.blogspot.com/