UAE, Finland discuss growing economic ties

Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, the UAE Minister of Economy, recently met a visiting Finnish business delegation, headed by Finland’s Ambassador Ilkka-Pekka Simila, to discuss the growing economic relations between the UAE and the Republic of Finland.

Al Mansouri outlined the UAE’s welcoming investor environment and answered the delegation’s queries on the nation’s strategic economic direction towards enabling potential Finnish investors to identify key business opportunities in the UAE.

He said: “The UAE is proud to remain Finland’s top economic partner in the region. Prevailing investment opportunities in the two countries open doors to developing greater synergies between the private sector, investors and businessmen. In line with the UAE’s strategy and efforts to develop a knowledge-based economy we are keen to benefit from the experience of our Finnish counterparts. Finland has an excellent record in state-of-the-art technologies, education, research and development and we will seek to leverage our economic partnership to advance the UAE’s knowledge competencies in these domains.”

Al Mansouri added: “Our country is a leading business hub in the region and offers rich investment opportunities stemming from the vision of its wise leadership, as well as unbeatable incentives and development programmes. We encourage Finnish companies to explore the potential of the UAE and take advantage of its developed infrastructure, safe environment and strategic location to expand their presence in the region that is among the fastest growing in the world.”

As part of its priority, the delegation identified potential investment opportunities for the UAE’s companies in Finland. More specifically, the meeting explored a possible visit by a UAE business delegation to Finland in May 2015. The UAE’s imports from Finland include technology equipment and devices, communication systems, paper and steel, while the UAE’s exports to Finland include plastic products, aluminum products and fabrics. Bilateral trade between the two counties registered at $429 million in 2012.

— business@khaleejtimes.com