The historic friendship between the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan dates back to the great founding father of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan when Pakistan was the first country to accord formal recognition to the newly established federation of the seven Emirates in 1971. It was a gesture that the legendary Sheikh Zayed never forgot. Since then the two countries have formed close links as the UAE has transformed in just forty years into a nation of global preeminence.
With its vast tracts of undulating desert, Pakistan has a deep understanding of the Bedouin tradition of the Emiratis who still hold fast to their desert values. These ideals resonate deeply with Pakistanis and in both cultures a high premium is placed on hospitality, generosity, honour and family ties.
In the wake of the devastating floods which hit Pakistan in 2010, the UAE played an invaluable role in relief and rehabilitation operations, disbursing $84.6 million to Pakistan at a time when international assistance was slow in coming.
The UAE’s significant investments in various sectors of Pakistan’s economy also stands as testament to the enduring friendship between the two countries. In a recent address to investors, the ambassador of the UAE to Pakistan His Excellency Essa Abdullah Al Basha Al Nuaimi said that current bilateral trade between the two countries stood at $7.6 billion. At present, 27 Emirati companies are operating in Pakistan in an array of sectors including telecommunications, banking and aviation. The volume of business through joint ventures stands at $21 billion.
Pakistani Commerce Minister Makhdoom Amin Fahim applauded the investment and trade levels between the UAE and Pakistan stressing that, “The scope of enhancing both investment flows and trade on a still higher level does exist.”
The global influence that the UAE wields as an economic entity has acquired an unprecedented reach. This was recently demonstrated at the Magnificent Seven EXPO held in Karachi in December 2011 where the scale of the UAE’s investments in Pakistan was highlighted. With an intention to bolster investments, key sectors for collaboration between the two countries were identified.
The presence of the UAE’s Minister for Foreign Trade Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi at the event further demonstrated the significance of Pakistan UAE trade relations.
The concept of holding a single country exhibition of UAE was initiated by the Honorable Consul General of the UAE in Karachi, His Excellency Suhail Bin Matar Al-Ketbi who spoke of the special affinity between the two countries, “I feel like Pakistan is my home, we have been together with Pakistan from the beginning. I am optimistic and I believe the best days are ahead of us.”
