Abu Dhabi: Trade ties between the UAE and Netherlands are strong and growing, Netherlands ambassador to the UAE Jennes de Mol said in an interview to Gulf News. In 2013, mutual trade between the Netherlands and the UAE was worth more than 3.3 billion euros where as the total trade between the Netherlands and the Gulf region was worth almost €14 billion.
“While the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the Netherlands’ biggest trading partner in the Gulf region with €6 billion, the UAE is the largest export market with nearly €2.4 billion. Almost 40 per cent of all the Dutch exports to the Gulf region go to the UAE,” the ambassador said.
There is a big presence of Dutch companies numbering more than 200 in the UAE specially the oil and gas industry, agriculture, aerospace and dredging.
Multinationals such as Shell, Unilever, Philips, AkzoNobel, FrieslandCampina, Van Oord, Boskalis, Vopak, Royal Haskoning DHV, ING and ABN AMRO have investments in the UAE, and petrochemical tie-ins such as TenCate as well as a host of small and medium sized enterprises.
“Standing out worldwide in a number of sectors, like water, agro-food, logistics and energy the Netherlands is one of the partners of choice to fulfil the UAE’s growth ambitions.”
The Netherlands’ exports to the UAE are machinery, electronic and technical equipment, foodstuffs, pharmaceutical products, steel and plastic products while it imports mineral fuels, lubricants and chemicals from the UAE. It also imports dates from the UAE.
On the issue of slowing Eurozone economy affecting the trade relations between the two countries, he said so far there is no sign that Eurozone developments are affecting the trade relation between the two countries.
“Over the last 4 years exports from the Netherlands to the UAE have been very stable, around 2.2 to €2.4 billion a year. From 2012 to 2013 imports from the UAE to the Netherlands actually grew by almost 16 per cent.”
He said the Netherlands was one of the first countries to support the UAE’s bid to host Expo 2020. “We think Dutch companies can benefit from the opportunities that will arise from Dubai hosting Expo 2020. In Dubai the Netherlands Business Council already set up the “NBC Dubai Expo 2020 Committee”, in order to discuss the opportunities for the Dutch business community. “
Bilateral relations
Trade missions, public diplomacy initiatives, delegations and joint submissions for exhibitions are organised from the Netherlands to the Gulf Region.
Former queen of Netherlands, now Princess Beatrix, visited the UAE for an official state visit in January 2013. In September this year Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs, Henk Kamp, visited Dubai and Al Ain to further strengthen bilateral relations and enhance future cooperation between the Netherlands and the UAE.
The Dutch business community is represented in Dubai by the Business Council Dubai and Northern Emirates, while in Abu Dhabi it is represented by the Benelux Business Council Abu Dhabi.
Last year the country signed a Bilateral Investment protection Treaty (BIT) with the UAE to strengthen the ties by promoting economic development and investments.
