Dubai plays a vital role in fostering Türkiye-UAE relations

Dubai has been a major global business and financial hub and offers a strong capital investment source for Turkish companies, says a senior diplomat.

Onur Şaylan, Consul General of the Republic of Türkiye in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, said Dubai has always played a vital role in fostering Türkiye-UAE relations.

“Dubai with its business-friendly environment, numerous free zones and diverse economy is the one of the best venues for this harvest as it offers significant opportunities for Turkish companies to facilitate investment and trade activities,” Saylan told Khaleej Times.

Excerpts of the interview:

What is the importance of Dubai for Turkish companies and the Turkish community?

Dubai has been a major global business and financial hub. The city has established itself as a key gateway to the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Therefore, Dubai first of all provides a platform for our companies to expand their international operations and to access diverse markets.

Moreover, Dubai, in good and even in bad weathers has always played a vital role in fostering Türkiye-UAE relations. As you know our bilateral relations were elevated to strategic partnership during the last visit of President Erdogan in July. The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) entered into force by 1st of September. So now it is time to enjoy the excellent weather and reap the harvest of this hard work for both countries. Dubai with its business-friendly environment, numerous free zones and diverse economy is the one of the best venues for this harvest as it offers significant opportunities for Turkish companies to facilitate investment and trade activities.

Dubai also offers a strong capital investment source for our companies not only through the sovereign wealth fund of ICD but also through family offices and various hedge funds in different sectors. We believe our companies, with the support of investors from Dubai, will be able to achieve greater success in a wider geography extending from Central Asia to Africa.

Last but not least, Dubai has recently emerged as a hub for start-ups and tech companies. As the Emirate is actively investing in technology and innovation, many Turkish companies are working hard to be part of this vision nowadays. Recent Gitex was a strong manifestation of this trend as Türkiye was one the biggest participant in the fair.

In the last 25-30 years while Dubai was turning in to global hub for business, finance, trade, logistics and technology, the Turkish community has always been part indeed one of the most active contributors to this transformation.

Dubai was the first destination for Turkish people in UAE since early 80s. Many of them planned to come for 1-2 years, but they never left or came back again and again. As of now, we have reached around 40,000 Turkish people in UAE, majority of those reside in Dubai and many more Turkish people have set their eyes on Dubai. We are proud to be part of Dubai`s rich and colourful cultural tapestry and will continue to be shareholder in this multicultural paradise.

How does the Turkish community express its national identity in Dubai?

Dubai offers a vibrant economy, rich ecosystem and safe environment for each community, including ours to thrive, to expand and to integrate while maintaining their ethnic, religious and national identities.

As I told you we have reached around 40,000 people in the UAE and the majority is in Dubai; I am proud that our community is fully integrated and very well respected in the multicultural ecosystem of Dubai.

I also take pride that `Turkish` as a brand refers to high quality and `hardworking` `well disciplined` people` in Dubai. Through your journal, I would like to extend my gratitude to each and every member of Turkish community for building such a strong image of our country and our people.

As the Counsel General of Türkiye, one of my main goals in Dubai is to encourage and support the integration of our people to Dubai without losing their identity. My main partner in this noble effort is of course Turkish Business Council.

Together with our Business Council, we organise cultural events, sport tournaments, festivals and celebrations not only to bring our Community together but also showcase Turkish traditions, music, dance and cuisine to our Emirati brothers and sisters as well as other expat groups in Dubai.

The national days like Republic Day October 29, Youth Day May 19, Victory Day August 30 and Children Day April 23 are utmost important and binding our people to each other. This year October 29 is fundamentally important as it is the 100 Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Republic. Although, we tonned down our celebrations to a certain level because of the tragic events in Palestine, together with our community we organize lots of activities to share our pride and excitement.

In addition to these, we have two Turkish language school in Dubai for our youngsters to learn not only their mother tongue but also history, traditions and culture of Türkiye.

As you know, Turkish people and Turkish cuisine is very dominant in food and beverage sector in Dubai and beyond. All those Turkish owned restaurants, cafes and shops in Dubai serve as gathering places for the Turkish community and offer a taste of home.

Is there any specific sector that you feel presents further potential to develop?

As Türkiye and Turkish community in Dubai, we are very strong in certain areas such as hospitality, construction and food and beverage. As Dubai is exponentially growing in terms of economy, population and tourism, I believe that our companies still have more potential to tap in these traditional sectors.

Moreover, even though I am based in Dubai, as the Counsel General my area of responsibility covers Dubai and Northern Emirates. Therefore, I encourage our companies to maintain and expand their dominance in these sectors to other emirates especially to RAK and Sharjah.

There are also new sectors, where our firms are gradually improving their presence and benefit from the opportunities in Dubai. First one is the new technologies such as AI, cloud systems or metaverse; Turkish companies are very talented and experienced in finding new solutions at a very competitive prices in this sector.

One other area is manufacture, we the Turks are very proud of our manufacturing base in various good and items. I believe it is the right time for our manufacturers to produce in Dubai and sell in a wider geography by using Dubai as a hub.

Last, but not the least, during the last visit of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to UAE in July, we decided to advance the existing cooperation in fields such as energy, transportation, e-commerce, health and defence industry.

What new initiatives you have taken to facilitate Turkish investors in Dubai?

To be honest with you, with its strategic location, economic diversification, multicultural ecosystem, stable economy and profitable real estate sector, Dubai is already very attractive o Turkish investors.

On the other hand, our Consulate is blessed with a very hardworking and committed economic team. This team is composed of 3 Commercial Attaches from Ministry of Trade, an Attache from Ministry of Treasury and Finance as well as the representative of Presidential Invesment Office. This team is at the disposal of investors from Türkiye; they are very responsive to the requests and provide accurate and timely information.

Moreover, as the Consulate we have implemented several initiatives to facilitate Turkish investors and promote their interests in the region:

We regularly host seminars and workshops that provide Turkish investors with insights into the local business environment, legal requirements, and investment opportunities in Dubai. These events serve as platforms for knowledge transfer and networking.

Together with the Turkish Business Council, we have established a business matchmaking programme that connects Turkish investors with local partners, potential clients, and relevant government authorities. This helps streamline the investment process and build strategic partnerships.

Investor Information Hub: We have created a dedicated information hub at the consulate that offers resources, reports, and data on Dubai's economy, market trends, and investment regulations. This helps Turkish investors make informed decisions.

Collaboration with Local Authorities: We actively collaborate with Dubai's government authorities, Free Trade Zones and the Dubai Chamber of Commerce to advocate for Turkish investors and address any challenges they may face. This includes assisting with regulatory issues, permits, and other bureaucratic hurdles.

Cultural and Networking Events: We organise cultural and networking events that bring together Turkish investors, local business leaders, and government officials. These events foster a sense of community and open avenues for collaboration.

Trade Missions and Delegations: We coordinate and support trade missions and business delegations between Türkiye and Dubai. This helping Turkish companies explore investment opportunities and establish business contacts.

Trade Exhibitions and Fairs: Dubai, as you know, is a city of commercial fairs and exhibitions. Together with our exporters' unions, we inform our companies about these events and encourage their participation through the financial and logistical incentive programs of the relevant Ministries. We are proud to visit our national pavilions with the brand “Made in Türkiye” in almost every fair in Dubai. All these initiatives aim to create a supportive and conducive environment for Turkish investors in Dubai, fostering economic cooperation and knowledge transfer while strengthening the ties between our two nations.

Are you going to introduce any major initiative to promote tourism in Türkiye?

Türkiye has been a major tourism destination not only for Dubai, UAE or Gulf region but for all the world. Our country offers a rich blend of history, culture, natural beauty and modern amenities that attract millions of tourists each year. No need to mention the warm hospitality and friendliness of Turkish people to our visitors.

As the Turkish Consul General in Dubai, promoting inbound tourism to Türkiye from Dubai is one of my key priorities. I have two very powerful comrades in this effort, first one is our national flag carrier Turkish Airlines and the other is the Ministry of Tourism and Culture.

Together with them, we have launched comprehensive tourism campaigns targeting the Dubai market. These campaigns highlight the diverse attractions, historical sites, natural beauty, and cultural experiences that Türkiye offers. Moreover, we are advertising new destinations in Türkiye such as Artvin, Kars and Van.

We also organise cultural festivals and culinary events that showcase Turkish traditions, cuisine, and arts. These events will provide a taste of Türkiye's rich heritage and create cultural connections.

One challenge we have is of course the visa. Together with all the stakeholders we have been working on streamlining the visa application process, making it more convenient and accessible for Emirati and Dubai residents, possibly even considering visa-free or visa-on-arrival options for specific categories in the near future.

We encourage our tourism companies to participate in or organise tourism expos, roadshows, and events like Arabian Travel Market in Dubai to showcase Türkiye's attractions and engage with the travel industry in Dubai.

We engage with both conventional and digital media in Dubai to reach a wider audience, including social media campaigns, travel blogs, and interactive websites to create content that highlights the unique experiences Türkiye offers to Dubai residents.

“I would like to thank Khaleej Times for this opportunity to introduce myself and our Consulate.

“2023 is an important milestone for Türkiye and for Turkish-UAE relations as it is the 100 Anniversary of the Turkish Republic and 50th Anniversary of the Diplomatic Ties between Türkiye and the UAE. I would like to congratulate each and every member of the Turkish community in the UAE on these two special occasions.

“This was our first 100 years as Türkiye and first 50 years together with the UAE and you may rest assured together with our Emirati brothers and sister we will achieve more in the coming period.”

— muzaffarrizvi@khaleejtimes.com

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