UAE and Netherlands: 50th Anniversary of Partnership

The UAE and Netherlands recently celebrated 50 years of partnership. It was the anniversary of having begun a diplomatic bond between the two nations. The UAE envoy to the Kingdom of Netherlands and the ambassador of the latter to the former both expressed their belief that this relationship can produce great success for the whole of humanity.

Since they have the common objective of development, they took this anniversary as a chance to reflect on what kind of world they would like to construct for future generations. The relationship had always been marked by the interchange of what they know and their experiences. Even when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, leading to many difficulties, the relationship between UAE and Netherlands have proved to be instrumental beyond the scope of the two nations.

What Are The Key Areas Of The Partnership?

One primary area of partnership for the two nations has been the food security sector. The duo has identified that, with the increasing challenges resulting from climate change, just conserving the current state and stock of resources may not be enough. For sustainable development, keeping the next set of populations in mind, certain other things have to be considered. Therefore, the two countries encourage accountable production, management, and distribution of food and water resources, especially in developing countries.

UAE has been getting informed about sustainability and food security via Dutch universities, which offer the best practices in that field. As part of the UAE National Food Security Strategy 2051, huge indoor farms and advanced sustainable horticulture solutions from the Netherlands are being used. This has made an impact on UAE’s local food production goals.

The Expo 2020 Dubai is considered to be the best portrayal of “human brilliance, achievement, and innovation” in the region. UAE hopes to allow the Netherlands to share these developments using this platform. Being conducted for the first time in the Middle East, the event boasts the involvement of over 190 nations as well as important global organizations.  By utilizing its special microclimate pavilion, the Netherlands can facilitate visitors to explore the link between resources like water, food, and energy. This will be done while connecting the Dutch Agri-tech industry with international investors for finding out solutions to some urgent worldwide concerns.

UAE-Dutch Trade Relations

The total value of the bilateral trade between UAE and the Netherlands, including foreign investment is £8 billion. The rate of UAE exports of aluminum, electrical equipment, machinery, mineral fuels, and pharmaceuticals to the Netherlands touched €1.51 billion in just 2019. That year the overall price of commodities and services traded between the two countries was £6.46 billion, which is commendably large and indicates the extent of this collaboration.

UAE’s quick growth and diversification of its economy and suitable business conditions have appealed to a bulk of Dutch entrepreneurs who subsequently took interest in the country. For example, certain brands like the Royal Dutch Shell and Friesland Campina have had a presence in Abu Dhabi for over 60 years, even before the first embassy in UAE was established in 1977. There are presently more than 350 Dutch companies employed in UAE in various sectors, such as Agri-tech, marine services, design, aerospace, dredging, as well as oil and gas, and many more. For each country, the other is a chief trading partner in their region.

The partnership between UAE and Netherlands has always been propelled by a spirit of open exchange. In the future, keeping the next of a century in mind, the two nations hope to take their diplomatic relations further and fortify their bilateral trade ties. They plan on putting more energy together into vouching for a steady international order, especially through fairness, acceptance, and respect for all cultures and religions. Both the countries can be looked upon as models of engagement for their other global counterparts.

Cultural Ties Between UAE and Netherlands

The UAE-Dutch relations have been improved through cultural efforts as well. For example, this kind of cooperation was achieved through high-level trips to each country’s museums and cultural centers by the other. The UAE Embassy in the Netherlands has hosted field visits to major museum locations in the Netherlands. This was done to create relations between Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Guggenheim Museum, the Sheikh Zayed Museum, and their Dutch equals. In this way, the UAE and the Netherlands attempt to exchange and share each other’s rich heritage. Thus, a cultural bond that includes art, architecture, construction, design, and music has been built. Both nations are eager to participate in each other’s cultural backgrounds.

The partnership was further strengthened by the relationship between young people from UAE and Netherlands. Netherlands, Dubai, Abu Dhabi all rank high in the World Happiness Report and are proud homes to some of the healthiest, happiest youth in the world today. The nations hope to build educational collaboration between them and believe that their students will turn out to be some of each country’s best envoys in the future.

The UAE-Netherlands Week was inaugurated not long ago. It included the participation of diplomats, government officials, members of civil society bodies, and even students. The week was a celebration of all of the different ways in which those involved had had a positive impact because of the UAE-Dutch relations. Education, investment and entrepreneurship, culture, tourism, technology, etc. are some fields where tales of exchange built on common interest and companionship were born.

Dr. Hissa Abdulla Ahmed Al Otaiba and Lody Embrechts say that “Celebrating 50 years of partnership instilled in us a deep optimism and hope for the future, knowing that our countries will harness our combined resources, expertise, and energy to shape a world worth improving together”.