UAE and Turkiye explore ways to boost cooperation in various fields

A UAE delegation, led by Dr Sultan Bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, has concluded a two-day visit to Turkiye that took place from 13th-14th July aimed at enhancing cooperation and exploring new areas for future collaboration, especially in the energy, industry and advanced technology sectors.

Dr Al Jaber, who met with Turkish Minister of Industry and Technology, Mustafa Varank was accompanied by Dr Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, Sarah Bint Yousif Al Amiri, Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology, Omar Suwaina Al Suwaidi, Under-Secretary of MoIAT, Mohammed Saeed Al Neyadi, Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Turkiye, Mansour Al Mulla, Managing Director and CEO of EDGE Group, Salem Butti Al Qubaisi, Director-General of UAE Space Agency, Mohammed Jameel Al Ramahi, CEO of Masdar, Mohammed Saif Al Ariani, Acting CEO of Adnoc International, Samia Bouazza, CEO of Multiply Group, Abdullah Al Shamsi, Assistant Under-Secretary for the Industrial Development Sector, and Mansour Al Mansouri, Chief Operating Officer of G42.

The visit also included meetings with senior government and private sectors officials as well as a UAE-Turkiye Investment Workshop. Delegates discussed collaboration across the gas, energy infrastructure, renewable energy, healthcare, biotech, agri-tech, defense, logistics, digital communication, e-commerce and financial services sectors.

Dr Al Jaber conveyed the greetings of the UAE’s leadership and people to the government and people of the Republic of Turkiye. He highlighted that the visit is in line with the leadership’s vision and is one of many that will aim to explore the exciting investment opportunities for growth in both nations across a range of priority sectors.

Dr Al Jaber emphasised that the two countries share a clear vision for sustainable economic growth and continue to expand their relations; as highlighted by the visit of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to Turkiye at the end of 2021, and the visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the UAE in February that resulted in cooperation agreements worth millions of dollars to invest in Türkiye, in addition to agreements and MoUs to boost cooperation across different fields that contribute to enhancing sustainable economic development.

Dr Sultan Al Jaber invited Turkish companies to invest in the UAE’s industrial sector and benefit from industrial investment opportunities in petrochemicals, metals, pharma, medical equipment, electrical machinery, F&B, agri-tech, defense and space.

“Cooperation with Turkiye in the energy, industry and advanced technology sectors, among others, indicates a strong commitment to increase joint investments. Our companies see opportunities in developing gas resources, energy infrastructure, renewable energy, healthcare, biotech, agri-tech, defense, logistics, digital communications, and financial services. While we are keen to expand our investments in Türkiye, we also want to drive mutually beneficial partnerships for industrial investment in the UAE.”

For his part, Dr Al Zeyoudi said, “The continued development of UAE-Turkiye relations is a direct result of our leadership’s directives to strengthen global strategic partnerships. Our efforts led to our recent Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPA) with neighboring countries to enhance trade and economic cooperation and expand investments.” He continued, “Our CEPA with Turkiye will bring unique opportunities to enhance bilateral trade and investments, in line with all the UAE’s CEPAs. This visit will help to stimulate joint investments with Türkiye, supporting our common interests. It is in line with both countries’ efforts to boost collaboration, double the volume of non-oil trade and advance economic relations.

Al Amiri said, “Based on the directives of the UAE leadership, UAE-Turkiye relations are flourishing across various sectors. Thanks to both leaderships, we are witnessing a transformation of projects in vital sectors including in advanced technology and space.” She added, “In the UAE, we are focused on innovation, the adoption of advanced technology and future proofing as key enablers for economic growth in general and especially in the industrial sector.”

Al Amiri highlighted that, “The signing of the MoU between the UAE Space Agency and the Turkish Space Agency that includes space research and technology and joint studies on suborbital flights and satellite systems, lies at the heart of the UAE’s efforts to build bridges for space exploration. For us in the UAE, international cooperation is key to achieving space aspirations as it provides a mechanism to increase the impact and outcomes of science through knowledge sharing, building R&D capacities, and supporting the deployment of advanced technology in industry. Ultimately, we believe these partnerships will provide mutual economic and social positive impact. Our joint efforts will help to expand the region’s contribution to humanity’s broader space exploration. I would like to take this opportunity to wish Türkiye every success in its lunar mission next year.” As part of the visit, an agreement was signed between the UAE Space Agency and the Turkish Space Agency to boost collaboration in scientific fields, training, as well as knowledge and experience transfer.