Her Majesty the Queen's state visit to the UAE Wednesday is an important moment in our bilateral relations. The visit demonstrates the importance the British Government attaches to its relationship with the UAE and is an opportunity to reflect on how it has grown since Her Majesty's last visit in 1979.
The UK and the UAE have a rich shared history going back over 200 years. We are natural partners and work closely together in the areas of diplomacy and security. Our commercial relationship is important to both countries, as are our many links in education and culture. Over 100,000 British nationals live, work, and study in the UAE — more than half the total number living in the Gulf.
British nationals have helped drive the tremendous growth of the UAE since before independence and are part of its remarkable success story. As the UAE approaches its 39th birthday, British companies and individuals are involved in many of the iconic projects that help define the UAE today, from the Burj Khalifa to the new Yas Marina Circuit. Ours is a dynamic partnership that benefits both our peoples.
Britain's new coalition government would like to intensify this relationship across the board, as part of a drive to elevate our links with all our important partners in the Gulf, in diplomacy, commerce, trade, education, health, culture and in some cases in defence. One of our first acts in foreign policy was to establish a new joint taskforce with the UAE, to look at new ways to unlock the potential in our relationship.
As a result of the work that has already been done and as a demonstration of future intent, UAE Foreign Minister Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and I will sign a declaration reaffirming the 1979 UK-UAE Treaty of Friendship during this visit.
A key area of focus is trade and investment between our countries. Our two governments have committed to an ambitious target to increase bilateral trade from £7.5 billion (Dh44.04 billion) to £12 billion (Dh70.46 billion) a year by 2015. Over 4,000 British businesses already operate in the UAE, and DP World's London Gateway project will contribute to creating 36,000 new jobs in the UK. Our UK Trade and Investment team helped over 2,000 British businesses consider options in the UAE last year. So we are building on strong foundations.
We are also increasing our engagement on foreign policy and issues, including nuclear proliferation, Afghanistan and Yemen. Our militaries carry out regular joint training exercises, work side by side in Afghanistan, and share leadership of naval taskforces in the Gulf. Many senior members of the UAE military and political leadership study at military colleges in the UK, and many former British military personnel work in the UAE. The Duke of Edinburgh will meet many of those alumni during the visit to hear about this work and the scope for future cooperation. We also want to increase our cooperation in the field of energy security. British companies have been involved in the development of the UAE's oil and gas fields from the outset. We hope that involvement will carry on for many decades to come. We are working closely on renewable energy through the Masdar project and UAE investment into the London Array.
We are also both developing our nuclear power capacities, and I am pleased to be signing a Nuclear Cooperation Agreement during this visit. The UAE's civil nuclear programme is based on transparency and international co-operation; it is a model that we would encourage other states in the Middle East to emulate.
Education is another area where existing links are sowing the seeds of future engagement. World-class British institutions such as Imperial College London and the London Business School operate in the UAE In 2009 over 2,800 Emiratis studied in the UK, an increase of 16 per cent on the previous year.
Looking ahead
Last year, the British Council taught over 11,000 people in the UAE and held over 80,000 exams providing access to internationally recognised qualifications. We look forward to further collaboration in this area.
Her Majesty will also launch a project to build the new Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi. I am delighted that the museum, which will celebrate the UAE's development, is being developed in collaboration with Foster+Partners and the British Museum. It is apt that a project celebrating the UAE's success is being taken forward with UK partners.
We want the UAE to see the UK as one of its closest allies, and its international partner of choice, building on our existing ties which already do so much to enrich the lives of both our peoples. So as we celebrate the ties between our countries this week during Her Majesty's state visit, we can look to the future of our relations with optimism and confidence.
