Dubai and Australia Cement Bilateral Ties

Dubai Chamber receives high profile Australia Gulf Council delegation during their 2012 Business Mission to GCC states. Dubai, UAE: In order to facilitate greater two-way trade and investment between their business communities, the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry received a high profile Australian delegation headed by the Hon Mark Vaile, former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia and former Minister of Trade, at the Chamber headquarters in Dubai recently. Seeking to foster a stronger economic relationship with Dubai businesses, the delegation which also included Senator Nicholas Sherry, former Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Small Business, and a number of representatives of Australian companies, was received by H.E. Rashid Al Mazroei, Member of the Executive Committee, and Mr. Atiq Juma Nasib, Senior Director, Commercial Services Sector, Dubai Chamber.

In his welcome address, Al Mazroei, stressed on the importance of strengthening bilateral ties between the two sides which he said enjoyed a long trading relationship as Australia ranked 23rd on the list of Dubai’s top trading partners at the end of 2010 and their non-oil trade registered AED 2.85 billion in the first five months of 2011. Currently, there are 261 Australian partnership companies registered at Dubai Chamber, he added. Al Mazroei also pointed out that there are over 20 weekly flights operating between Dubai and various Australian cities which he said help reduce the distance and facilitate trade as well as emphasise on the role of Dubai as a link between the East and the West.

He also stressed on Dubai Chamber’s commitment in providing all the support and facilities to the development of Australian businesses in the Emirate and called upon the Australian companies to benefit from the vast investment opportunities available here as well as to work towards enhancing trade ties with their counterparts in Dubai. On his part, Hon Mark Vaile lauded the business relationship existing between the UAE and Australia stressing that both the sides can explore investment opportunities in their common areas of interest. He pointed out that there is tremendous scope for the two countries to expand their cooperation, especially in the field of education as a number of UAE students study in Australia while there is good scope for opening up additional branches of Australian universities in Dubai.