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Message from The Ambassador
Australians and Australian companies are present in ever-increasing numbers in the UAE, and are having a significant impact on the UAE's visual, social, economic, cultural and intellectual environment. The Australian Business Awards are a most welcome and overdue way to recognise publicly the achievements of those whose impact has been greatest.
Australia has long had a substantial and important trading relationship with the countries of the Gulf, including the UAE. For many years Australian exports were dominated by agriculture-related products. But over the last dozen years or so there has been a striking transformation in Australia's export profile, with elaborately transformed manufactures and services becoming increasingly important.
Our exports to the UAE have not only diversified; they've grown at a dizzying rate. In 2007, our merchandise exports to the UAE grew by over 50 percent for the second year running. They were worth about twice those to Italy, France, Germany or Vietnam, and had almost overtaken those to Malaysia.
With trade growing at that sort of pace-and thanks to the UAE's excellent airlines, Emirates and Etihad, which now fly about 70 times each week to Australia and back-Australians and Emiratis are getting to know each other. Increasingly we are visiting each other's countries for business, pleasure and education, with the number of Emiratis studying at Australian educational institutions continuing to grow strongly.
The achievements of Australian businesspeople and Australian companies will, I'm sure, continue to be an important driver in the development and evolution of our bilateral relationship with the UAE. I'm equally sure that, by helping to highlight those achievements, the Australian Business Awards will become an important part of the business and social calendar in years to come. I congratulate the organisers and sponsors on their initiative.
H.E. Jeremy Bruer
Australian Ambassador
Australians and Australian companies are present in ever-increasing numbers in the UAE, and are having a significant impact on the UAE's visual, social, economic, cultural and intellectual environment. The Australian Business Awards are a most welcome and overdue way to recognise publicly the achievements of those whose impact has been greatest.
'In 2007, our merchandise exports to the UAE grew by over 50 percent for the second year running. They were worth about twice those to Italy, France, Germany or Vietnam, and had almost overtaken those to Malaysia.'
Australia has long had a substantial and important trading relationship with the countries of the Gulf, including the UAE. For many years Australian exports were dominated by agriculture-related products. But over the last dozen years or so there has been a striking transformation in Australia's export profile, with elaborately transformed manufactures and services becoming increasingly important.
Our exports to the UAE have not only diversified; they've grown at a dizzying rate. In 2007, our merchandise exports to the UAE grew by over 50 percent for the second year running. They were worth about twice those to Italy, France, Germany or Vietnam, and had almost overtaken those to Malaysia.
With trade growing at that sort of pace-and thanks to the UAE's excellent airlines, Emirates and Etihad, which now fly about 70 times each week to Australia and back-Australians and Emiratis are getting to know each other. Increasingly we are visiting each other's countries for business, pleasure and education, with the number of Emiratis studying at Australian educational institutions continuing to grow strongly.
'Although the current Australian Government is less than a year old, the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister and the Defence Minister have already visited.'
Our leaders are getting to know each other, too. Although the current Australian Government is less than a year old, the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister and the Defence Minister have already visited. Those kinds of contacts, which continue a trend that has emerged in recent years, have had a major positive impact on the broader bilateral relationship, which now extends well beyond trade. Through our excellent political and military links, we share perspectives and cooperate on a range of regional and global strategic and security issues. And, though in many respects our cultures and histories are different, we have much more in common than we might at first realise. Australia and the UAE are both tolerant, open and outward-looking societies, in which people from all over the world live together harmoniously, freely practising their own religions and pursuing their own traditions. We live in similar harsh, fragile landscapes; we share common environmental concerns and challenges, and we're working together to meet them.
'Australia and the UAE are both tolerant, open and outward-looking societies, in which people from all over the world live together harmoniously'
The achievements of Australian businesspeople and Australian companies will, I'm sure, continue to be an important driver in the development and evolution of our bilateral relationship with the UAE. I'm equally sure that, by helping to highlight those achievements, the Australian Business Awards will become an important part of the business and social calendar in years to come. I congratulate the organisers and sponsors on their initiative.
H.E. Jeremy Bruer
Australian Ambassador
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Australian
Business Awards - ME 2008 | |
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