Relations between the Netherlands and the UAE gather strength.
The visit of the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Jan Peter Balkenende, to the UAE in September demonstrates the growing cooperation between the two countries. General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, received Balkenende and discussed with him relations of friendship and cooperation between the two countries.
Prime Minister Balkenende also met the UAE's Minister for Economy, Shaikha Lubna Al Qasim. and discussed ways to boost economic investment and trade cooperation, as well as ways to eliminate obstacles hampering the development of trade relations between the two countries.
According to media reports, the two sides stressed the need to make use of existing investment opportunities in the two countries in order to take economic cooperation to a higher level. The need to boost joint meetings between businessmen and investors from both countries to enhance economic ties was also discussed.
The UAE continues to be an important partner for the Netherlands, both economically and politically. According to Gilles Beschoor Plug, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the UAE, the Netherlands has a strong interest in the UAE. "This has clearly been illustrated by the fact that during my first six weeks in the UAE, the Dutch Prime Minister visited Abu Dhabi." The Dutch community in the UAE numbers about 3,000, of which 2,500 live in Dubai and 500 in Abu Dhabi.
In 2006 Dubai hotels reported a total of 65,000 guests from the Netherlands, an increase of 21 per cent from the previous year. Abu Dhabi received about 8,000 Dutch visitors in 2006. There are about 350 Dutch companies operating in the UAE. The Royal Dutch Shell, Van Oord, Boskalis, Royal Vopak, Tebodin, Interbeton, Deerns, Royal Haskoning, Ballast Nedam, Philips, Unilever, KPMG, ABN Amro are some of the well-known companies in the region. "Some of these companies are not only working in the UAE, but use the geographical location of the country to cover other countries as well."
According to Ambassador Plug, the trade flows of the two countries are also similar. "Our main imports from the UAE are half fabricates, machines and transport materials, as well as chemicals and minerals. Our biggest exports to the UAE are machines and transport materials, food, office supplies and chemicals and minerals," he said. In 2006 the value of the Netherlands' exports to the UAE was about 1.8 billion euros (approximately Dh8 billion), while the value of imports was 580 million euros (approximately Dh2.9 billion).
"Since 2003 our exports have increased by 63 per cent and imports from the UAE have increased by 286 per cent," said Ambassador Plug. "In May 2007 our Minister for Foreign Trade signed an agreement to avoid double taxation and we are currently discussing an agreement for the promotion and protection of investments. Investments are important to us. The Netherlands ranks fifth on the list of foreign investors in the world and seventh on the list of recipients of foreign investments. The Netherlands is the 16th largest economy in the world, based on GDP. Based on de facto financial volumes, we rank sixth on the list of exporting countries in the world."
The best promotion for the Netherlands, according to Ambassador Plug, is done by Dutch companies and the people themselves. "The Embassy tries to support these efforts where possible. Our trade department consists of very talented and helpful colleagues. We are in the process of establishing a website to assist Dutch business people who want to come here and the UAE nationals who want to do business in the Netherlands. I think there is an enormous potential to enlarge our cooperation. There is a lot we can learn from one another. The UAE and the Netherlands have much in common. Both are relatively small countries, surrounded by big neighbours and located at major crossroads. Both profit from a culturally heterogeneous population.
Both are energy exporters. Common sectors include (sustainable) energy, water, infrastructure, transport, logistics, construction, education and creative industries. Whereas we built our country out of water, the UAE built theirs out of sand (... and lately water as well). We are two modern and innovative societies that benefit from an open and liberal global market and that have a common wish to share their knowledge and wealth, not only with each other but with others in the world as well," he said.
