The volume of non-oil trade between the UAE and Arab countries grew 29 per cent to Dhs191 billion in the first half of 2021, from Dhs148 billion in same period of 2020, it was revealed during the the Arab League’s Economic and Social Council meeting in Cairo.

In 2020, trade between Arab countries and the rest of the world amounted to around $1.27 trillion, with the UAE accounting for 25 per cent thereof.

Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy, represented the UAE in the 108th meeting of the Arab League’s Economic and Social Council, which was held recently at the HQ of the Arab League Secretariat-General in Cairo. During the meeting, Al Marri highlighted the UAE’s keenness, upon the directives of its leadership, to achieving the development goals of Arab countries in line with the Council’s recommendations.

He called for greater efforts to increase intra-Arab trade, underlining the UAE’s support for all relevant regional efforts, made within the Greater Arab Free Trade Area (GAFTA) and the Arab Customs Union.

Al Marri also bid the UAE’s bid to host the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Abu Dhabi in 2023, as well as the country’s efforts to address climate change and protect the environment, most notably its achievements in the renewable energy sector and the circular economy and its endeavours to encourage regional and international cooperation in this field.

Documents Complex: Abdullah Bin Touq Al Marri has visited the Secured, Smart Documents Complex in Cairo, Egypt, which is the latest integrated technological industrial complex for secured and smart documents in the Middle East and North Africa.

The complex issues all governmental documents with the highest security.

Bin Touq’s visit is in line with his official visit with his delegation to Cairo to take part in the 108th session of the Economic and Social Council kicked that off on Wednesday at the headquarters of the Arab League.

He also held a number of meetings with several ministers in the Egyptian government to enhance bilateral relations between the two countries.

Bin Touq and his delegation were briefed about the latest technologies used by the Egyptian government in document tracking systems, tax tracking systems and other advanced technical technologies. He was received by Sameh Al-Akari, chairman of the complex.

The Minister of Economy said, “The Secured and Smart Documents Complex represents a qualitative addition to the Egyptian government’s efforts towards digital transformation and employs modern technological techniques to reduce time and effort and ensure the quality and efficiency of government services provided.”

 WAM