Amb. Abdulla Al Romaithi
Dec. 2, 2012, is a special day in the United Arab Emirates. On this day 41 years back, the country was founded with the unification of the seven emirates: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ras al-Khaimah, Ajman, Umm al-Qaiwain and Fujairah. Marking the National Day of the UAE means commemorating the day of the unity of the seven emirates. It also means celebrating another year of successes and achievements, thanks to the visions and guiding principles laid down by the country’s founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
The march of growth has continued under the wise leadership of President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohamed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, their fellow members of the Supreme Council of Rulers and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Gen. Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
One of the principles emphasized by late president Zayed was that the country’s real wealth is its people. This has been translated in the people’s participation in political life through the Federal National Council (parliament) either as members or voters who bestow their trust on representatives. This has been applied to both men and women in line with the policies designed to empower women.
In the economic realm, oil and gas as the key sector of the UAE economy have continued to achieve substantial growth as a result of the investment programs implemented in the offshore and onshore fields over the past few years. Non-oil sectors such as trade, aviation, tourism and retail have performed perfectly. The country witnessed expansion in the transport sector with the growth in the number of passengers seen by the three major airports in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah, as well as the turnover of the three national carriers, Emirates, Etihad and Air Arabia, together with the formal opening of new Khalifa Port at Taweelah. The GDP is expected to grow by 3.5 to 4.0 percent in 2012 despite difficulties faced by the global economy.
Masdar solar project in Abu Dhabi
On the social level, official expenditures have focused on the development of infrastructure, social, health and educational centers and services as part of the efforts made toward improving facilities for citizens and expatriates. Special programs have also been run, under which citizens in certain cases are given houses and debt-relief through the “Sheikh Khalifa Initiative.” Tolerance has been pursued with expatriates living in the country. Citizens from different nationalities enjoy the multicultural life in the UAE in terms of daily activities. They also enjoy other rights related to their beliefs and cultures. Efforts continued to focus on promoting culture and tourism with the ongoing plans for the development of the cultural district of Saadiyat which houses famous international cultural and educational institutions.
At the international front, the country follows the U.N. Charter and international law provisions of peaceful co-existence, confidence-building, good-neighborliness, mutual respect and non-interference in internal affairs of sovereign states. Resolving conflicts and disputes through dialogue and peaceful means is another principle pursued by the UAE. This is clearly shown in the country’s endeavor to deal with the Iranian occupation of the three UAE islands, Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs.
The country has been cooperating actively with the international community in coping with challenges such as peace-keeping and security operations, eradication of terrorism, fighting drug, arm and human trafficking, tackling piracy and organized crime, and nuclear non-proliferation. The UAE has made noticeable steps in the global efforts to face environmental problems and mitigate global warming.
The UAE has continued to play a role in the region and beyond. It has been working directly or through related organizations in providing humanitarian aid and development assistance to other nations and regions. The country is committed to its foreign policy of moderation, openness to other nations and cultures. The policy has resulted in reinforcing existing as well as establishing new strategic partnerships in politics, economy, trade, culture, education and health with a number of countries.
With regard to its bilateral relations with the Republic of Korea, the UAE has continued its efforts to reinforce its strategic partnership established in late 2009. Over the course of the year, visits between high-ranking officials and delegations representing different sectors have been exchanged. During the visits, the two sides discussed issues of mutual interest including bilateral cooperation. They also coordinated their positions in regional and international arenas as well as reaching important agreements in several areas. The visit made to the UAE by H. E. President Lee Myung-bak only 10 days ago was the latest in a series of such visits. During the visit, progress of the joint projects already in place was assessed including nuclear plants, oil and gas, among others. Agreements on new projects were also reached in energy, stockpiles, health care and other areas.
Bilateral trade totaled $22 billion last year despite the slowdown witnessed by global economy. The figure toped more than $18 billion in the period from January to October 2012. Direct investments made by each country in the other also made steady progress. The nuclear power plants project executed by the Korean consortium in the UAE has proceeded smoothly during the past year. A significant agreement was concluded between the two nations in the oil and gas industry. A Korean consortium was awarded concessions last March to develop important oil fields in the Abu Dhabi emirate, thanks to the UAE’s established policy of allowing foreign firms to enter this highly rewarding market.
Collaboration continued in other areas such as construction projects and renewable energy, to mention a few. Korean companies large, medium and small have established branch offices in major cities, free zones in the UAE searching for projects, showcasing their products and services, or re-exporting commodities to other countries in the region and beyond. The UAE also showed keen interest in Korea’s human resources by dispatching trainees to some training institutions to learn more about Korea’s expertise in many fields.
Exchanges in other areas have continued steadily. The new area of collaboration has been the medical and health sector. Health authorities in Abu Dhabi and Dubai signed agreements with some major Korean hospitals and medical centers. They started sending patients to receive treatment here. The new agreement signed during the latest visit of president Lee to the UAE will further help to expand collaboration in this industry. The agreement calls for the UAE to send members of its armed forces and their families to Korea to receive medical treatment.
At the educational and cultural levels, the UAE continued its interest in higher education in Korea, sending students to study in Korean universities as well as groups of university students to visit Korea during their summer holiday to learn more about Korean education and technological advancement. The embassy actively participated in the cultural events organized in Korea for more cultural understanding between the peoples of the two friendly nations. There is promising room for bilateral collaboration in the future in all the above-mentioned industries.
