The United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom stand together with a “bold vision” for the future, according to British Ambassador Patrick Moody.
He was addressing guests at the annual Embassy reception to celebrate the official birthday of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, state news agency WAM reported.
Moody said the approach of “taking what is best from the past and having a bold vision for the future” lies at the heart of what is best about both countries, describing the relationship as “so strong in the past and so full of potential for the future”.
The ambassador also noted that the UK is the largest source of foreign direct investment in the UAE, with over 5,000 British companies registered in the country and more than 100,000 Brits making the UAE their home.
Bilateral trade, he said, now runs at a level of £17.5 billion a year (AED85 billion) while around 1.5 million British people visit the UAE on holiday annually.
Britain, Moody said, had been a trusted partner in the growth of the UAE so far, and looked forward to continued engagement in the future.
“We want to be partners for the future challenges,” he said, citing the examples of innovation and the new Fourth Industrial Revolution around artificial intelligence and big data, cleaner and more efficient energy, financial technology and education and training.
Britain stands together with the Emirates, he said “in the struggle for peace and security and in seeking stability and transformation across the region.”
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