UAE-Pak relations get further boost

The UAE and Pakistan enjoy historically robust relations at all political, economic and social levels.

Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s visit to Pakistan and the discussions he held with Prime Minister Imran Khan have helped strengthen the bonds further.

Right since the establishment of the diplomatic ties between the two countries, the UAE has been keen to develop its overall relations with Pakistan.

Since the era of the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, it has provided the Pakistani people with all forms of support, to help them overcome their challenges and achieve overall sustainable development.

Today, nearly 1.6 million Pakistanis live in the UAE and the Pakistani diaspora has contributed to a lasting relationship between the two powerful nations.

The Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) had launched several health projects in Pakistan, as part of its development initiatives for the “Year of Tolerance.”

The projects include the restoration of the Kidney Treatment Centre in Khyber Teaching Hospital in Peshawar, which received ten kidney dialysis machines and other medical equipment, and the Institute of Kidney Diseases Hayatabad Peshawar, which received six dialysis machines.

Over 407 million drops of polio vaccine have been delivered to more than 71 million Pakistani children as part of the Emirates Polio Campaign implemented in Pakistan since 2014 till the end of April 2019.

In January 2019, the administration of UAE PAP began implementing 40 development and humanitarian projects in Pakistan, under the framework of the third phase of the project worth Dhs736 million, funded by the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development.

The implementation of the project’s third phase is in continuation of the projects carried out by UAE PAP. Its first and second phase projects launched in various Pakistani regions from 2011 to 2017 totalled 165 individual projects costing Dhs1.545 billion.

The two nations enjoy strong ties on the trade front too.

The UAE is a key trading partner of Pakistan, and the value of the trade exchange in 2018 amounted to Dhs11.8 billion.

The UAE has also become the largest investor in Pakistan, where it has invested in the telecom, aviation, banking, real estate, oil and gas sectors.

At the start of 2019, the UAE supported Pakistan’s fiscal and monetary system by depositing Dhs11 billion in the State Bank of Pakistan, which helped ensure its liquidity and maintained its foreign currency reserves.

The financial assistance extended by the UAE came at an absolutely appropriate moment and has been much appreciated by Pakistani nationals.

Pakistan is emerging as one of the top source markets for Dubai’s tourism industry, bringing in more than 205,000 visitors in the first five months of the year 2019.

To strengthen travel demand to the emirate from Pakistan, Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) earlier launched the ‘Chalo Dubai’ campaign (“Let’s Go to Dubai”).

Sheikh Mohamed has rightly praised Pakistan for its keenness to maintain unity in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, OIC, as it is the comprehensive institutional framework for Islamic countries around the world, which embodies Islamic values that call for cooperation, peace and acquaintance, and which rejects hate, extremism and violence of all kinds.

Sheikh Mohamed is known globally as a strong proponent of peace and progress. This is also well reflected in the UAE’s unwavering stance in supporting peace, stability and dialogue in the Indian subcontinent for the benefit of the people.