UAE Minister of Economy, Mr. Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri has discussed ways to strengthen the cooperation in the transport sector with Mr. Omar Alghabra, Canadian Minister of Transport.
During the meeting, Mr. Al Marri highlighted the deep-rooted relations between the Emirates and Canada, and noted that “they have witnessed significant overall growth, aided by the support of their leadership.”
Furthermore, UAE Minister stressed that Canada is one of the UAE’s strategic trade partners in North America, noting the country’s keenness to boost their bilateral ties to new and elevated levels.
He also affirmed his keenness to enhance the UAE’s cooperation with the Canadian government in strategic areas of mutual concern, including transport, logistics, space, technology, food security, and renewable energy.
During the meeting, Mr. Al Marri briefed Mr. Alghabra about the UAE’s achievements over the past five decades, including establishing an economic environment that supports business growth and attracts investments, in line with the forward-looking vision of the UAE’s leadership to establish an innovative economic model based on knowledge.
The UAE Minister also mentioned amendments to over 40 laws, such as one that allows foreigners to have full ownership of Emirati businesses.
The number of passengers traveling from the UAE to Canada was more than 45,000 in 2019 while the air traffic between the two countries witnesses some 286,000 passengers per year.
The number of Canadian visitors staying in hotels in the UAE reached 170,000 residents and non-residents in 2021, according to figures from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
“The UAE is the second leading trading partner of Canada in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the region in 2021, with their non-oil trade amounting to nearly $3.4 billion (AED12.7 billion) in 2021, a rise of 59.3 percent compared to 2020 while Emirati non-oil exports to Canada amounted to more than $326 million (AED1.2 billion) during the first nine months of 2022, an increase of 9 percent compared to the same period in 2021,” as per the reports.
