"I wish the readers of Khaleej Times a very happy St Patrick's Day" - Patrick Hennessy, Ambassador of Ireland
Strong growth and strengthened commercial and economic ties between the UAE and Ireland
Published: Fri 17 Mar 2017, 4:10 PM
Our St Patrick's Day celebrations this year come at time when ties between Ireland and the UAE have never been closer. We were delighted to welcome Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, on an official visit to Ireland last month. Two weeks ago, we had the honour of welcoming Her Excellency Dr Amal Al Qubaisi, Speaker of the Federal National Council, to Ireland. Her discussions with counterparts in Dublin resulted in the establishment of the UAE-Ireland Friendship Group, bringing together members of our two parliamentary institutions.
Our commercial and economic links are also growing rapidly. Last year total bilateral trade between Ireland and the UAE was ?1.6 billion, a 70 per cent increase over the past five years. Many sectors, including among our indigenous industries, are performing strongly. Food exports to the UAE increased by 25 per cent in the past three years. This is likely to grow further following the visit of the Irish Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Michael Creed to the UAE earlier this year. This coincided with the largest ever contingent of Irish companies at Gulfood. With its unique Origin Green programme for high quality, sustainable food production, Ireland is a world leader in this sector and increasingly a strategic partner for the UAE.
Helped by excellent connectivity, with both Emirates airline and Etihad Airways offering double daily flights to Dublin, there has never been a better time for our UAE friends to visit Ireland, whether for business, education or tourism. Ireland is well known as a safe, family-friendly location with top-class universities and institutes of technology. This is why an increasing number of Emiratis are making Ireland their first choice for third-level education. As a committed European Union member state and the only English-speaking country in the Eurozone, Ireland is also an attractive location for UAE investors and businesses seeking a European base.
With over 8,000 Irish citizens living in the UAE, travel goes in both directions. Visits by family and friends allow Irish visitors to experience the delights of this dynamic and friendly country. We are naturally pleased that this is matched by the increase in travel to Ireland from the UAE, giving an opportunity to show our visitors our wonderful diverse landscapes and to extend traditional warm Irish hospitality.
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