“A special rapport has now developed between the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and General Shaikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf,” the ambassador said.
He said that the close relationship
between the two countries has helped
the flow of economic benefits from the
UAE to Pakistan and the
import of Pakistani
goods into the UAE.
The envoy said that
on the economic side,
the UAE maintains a
leading position as foreign
direct investor in
Pakistan. “The UAE
confidence in Pakistan’s
economy has encouraged
others to invest in
Pakistan,” he added.
Khan said that the
UAE-Pakistan Joint
Ministerial Commission
held its “extremely successful”
meeting in
Islamabad in June, after
a gap of 12 years, in which Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister of the UAE, played a leading role. He said that the Joint Economic Commission will meet in October this year.
The JMC had identified some 12 areas of cooperation between the two countries while a Pakistan-UAE joint business council is being established which will hold its inaugural session in Abu Dhabi in November this year, he said.
During fiscal year
2005-06, the FDI from
the UAE amounted to
$1.6 billion and it has
continued to be a significant
source of FDI in
Pakistan. The five main
sectors of investment
are banking and insurance,
services sector
including tourism, IT,
telecommunication, and
oil and gas. UAE airlines,
Emirates and Etihad,
are also investing
in Pakistan. In the real
estate sector, Emaar,
Limitless and Tameer
are to make large investments. In addition, Al Ghurair-Giga is investing in real estate and food sectors, while IFFCO of Sharjah is investing in edible oil. Pakistan’s investment in the UAE is mainly in the sectors of real estate, construction machinery, and technical services industry.
In the area of bilateral trade, Pakistan’s imports from the UAE amounted to $3.2 billion in fiscal 2006-07 with crude oil, machinery and gold being the three major items of import. Pakistan’s exports to the UAE in the same period amounted to $1.3 billion with the main exports being petroleum product, textiles, rice, leather and its products, fruits and vegetables, sports goods, and surgical goods.
“We hope that our exports to the UAE will grow since we want to reduce the trade imbalance,” he said.
The ambassador said that Pakistan is negotiating a Free Trade Agreement with the GCC and the UAE is playing an important role in expediting it. Khan said that the implementation of the projects initiated by the UAE in Pakistan is progressing with great commitment on both sides. For example, a team from the UAE visited Pakistan in July for the oil refinery being set up by the UAE at Khalifa Point in Balochistan. The UAE has also appointed a financial consultant for the project. The refinery, with 200,000 bpd output, will help meet Pakistan growing demand for refined oil in addition to having the UAE as its market. “We must appreciate that the good relations with the UAE and its support at all forums are helping Pakistan in the GCC states and in the Arab World,” Khan said.
He said that the UAE enjoys a fast growing economy and Pakistan recognises UAE as the hub of economic activity in the Middle East . |
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The envoy said that the UAE hosts a 762,000 strong Pakistani community. He said that serious steps were being taken to improve the standard of education in Pakistani schools run by the missions and serving the community in the UAE.
“I have focused on education since I took charge as ambassador. The main problem of the schools lies in poor financial resources. New teachers have been appointed. None of the teachers are relatives of the staff of Pakistani missions. The embassy is also offering internships to 20 best male students in summer and 20 best female students in winter holidays to work at the embassy,” he said.
According to the UAE Ministry of Education, local sponsors are now required for the schools run by foreign missions in the country, the ambassador said. “We are selecting philanthropists as sponsors who can also contribute to improving the facilities at the schools,” he said.
He said that the Pakistani missions will now be concentrating on increasing remittances from the UAE to Pakistan through legal channels. “The remittances increased by 41 per cent in the just ended 2006-07 fiscal year and we aim to double them this year,” said. Pakistanis are also being encouraged to share in the economic development of their country, he said. “We must get out of the syndrome to ask others to help us.”
Khan wished all Pakistani brothers in the UAE Mubarakbad on the auspicious 60th anniversary of his country’s Independence Day.
“We should not forget that we are successful and benefiting in the UAE because we are Pakistanis. We should not forget our brothers and sisters at home. In our own way we can help them and share with them some benefits that we get here. We must also remember that we are guests of a very generous nation and compassionate leader Shaikh Khalifa. We must respect and observe all laws of the land and not take undue advantage of their hospitality,” the ambassador said in his concluding message to the Pakistani community in the UAE.
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ON the auspicious occasion of the Independence Day of Pakistan, I would like to convey my
heartiest felicitations to Pakistanis both here and in Pakistan.
Qaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah changed the map of the world. The birth of our
nation gave the Muslims of the sub-continent a home to last the test of time. Ours is the
only country in the world that was born through struggle and strife as a Muslim homeland.
Destiny has given us a chance to prove our mettle. We are now well placed on the road of
destiny to reach great heights.
Pakistan is today a country rapidly moving on the path of progress and development.
Reforms in all sectors have been successfully introduced and are being implemented. A new
direction has been given to our nation’s destiny through the concept of “Enlightened Moderation”
of President General Pervez Musharraf in light of the principles given to us by our
Founding Father.
Pakistan today under the dynamic and visionary leadership of President General Pervez
Musharraf is a symbol of a tolerant and progressive nation. We show great respect not only
to our neighbors but to all the countries of the world because by acceptance of the ideals of
the United Nations we become a part of the nations that inhabit our planet. We have played
the role of brothers in terrible disaster and strife ridden areas of the world. Our soldiers
have been received with love and affection because of the human and healing touch they
brought with them.
It is particularly a special day for us in the UAE with which Pakistan enjoys extremely
cordial and brotherly ties. The UAE has been our steadfast friend. More than seven hundred
thousand Pakistanis working in the UAE is a testimony of the close relationship between two
brotherly countries. The relations in the economic and trade sectors are particularly fast
growing. The UAE is the second largest trading partner and the largest foreign direct
investor in Pakistan. We are confident that, under the dynamic leadership of the President,
His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the relations between our two brotherly
countries would continue to grow in the days to come.
Let us resolve on this occasion that we will work together for the prosperity, sovereignty
and progress of our nation so that we attain the ideals of the father of the nation, Quaid-e-
Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Pakistan is a vibrant nation with tremendous human and
natural resources. If all of us join hands and work to make our nation great we will succeed
by Allah’s grace.
May Allah be with us in our endeavours. Ameen.
Long Live Pakistan. Long Live Pakistan -UAE Friendship.
Ahsan Ullah Khan
Pakistan Ambassador to the UAE |
