Diplomacy: the new ambassadors of Canada and the United Arab Emirates received at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

These meetings mark a significant step in strengthening bilateral relations and strategic cooperation between Benin and these two partner nations.

Evelyne Dabiré, first resident ambassador of Canada to Benin

Appointed in July 2026, Evelyne Dabiré becomes the very first resident ambassador of Canada to the Republic of Benin. Born in 1976 in Bordeaux and holding a Master’s degree in International Management from Laval University in Quebec, the diplomat has a strong background within the Canadian diplomatic and development apparatus.

As a specialist in international development and Central and West African issues, Evelyne Dabiré has held various strategic positions, including as first secretary at the Canadian embassy in Addis Ababa, chief of staff to the Director General of Pan-African Affairs, and later as head of the Canadian embassy office in Cotonou starting in August 2023.

Her official assumption of duty at the head of the diplomatic mission will further strengthen already dynamic cooperation ties.

Hazza Mohammed Falah Kharsan Alqahtani heads the Emirati chancery

The new extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to Benin, Hazza Mohammed Falah Kharsan Alqahtani, also presented his letters of credence to the head of Benin’s diplomacy.

A career diplomat with over twenty-six years of experience within the Emirati Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hazza Alqahtani has notably served at his country’s embassy in London, in the European and American Affairs department, and as ambassador to Rwanda starting in 2015.

Designated to represent the United Arab Emirates in Benin with residence in Cotonou, he will be tasked with deepening economic and diplomatic exchanges between the two states.