UAE and Germany enjoy a strategic partnership, envoy says

Abu Dhabi: The UAE and Germany’s friendship continues to contribute to social and economic prosperity for both sides, with trade volumes hitting billions of dirhams and the number of German residents in the UAE reaching thousands, the country’s envoy said on Monday evening.

The 25th anniversary of the Day of German Unity, which falls on October 3, welcomed Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture, Youth, and Community Development, and Saqr Ghobash, Minister of Labour, at the Hiltonia Beach Club, Abu Dhabi, where the celebrations were held.

“German exports to the UAE amounted to more than Dh46 billion last year. Germany primarily supplies aircraft, cars as well as chemical products and electronic goods,” Dr Eckhard Lübkemeier, German Ambassador to the UAE, said.

“Tourism is also booming. German tourists continue to flock to the UAE and we expect more than 800,000 from Germany to visit the UAE this year,” he added.

Currently, up to 14,000 Germans live in the UAE and some 350 Emiratis reside in Germany. In addition, about 50 Emirati children are also enrolled at the German International School Abu Dhabi, which is a testament to the two countries’ close ties, the Ambassador added.

Paying his sincere tribute to the fallen UAE soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice to restore hope to war-torn Yemen, Lübkemeier said: “True friends share more than interests. True friends help each other in times of need. These are testing times for our Emirati friends. Some of the servicemen injured in Yemen are being treated in Germany. We will do our utmost to help them recover as fully and as soon as possible.”

Meanwhile, Germany and the UAE continue to beef up efforts aimed at boosting ties in the defence sector, said Hubertus Andrä, president of the Munich Police Department.

“We are here for a five-day trip to visit the Abu Dhabi and Dubai police and see how we can both work closely.”

Criminal activities, police cars, and terrorist acts that continue to erupt in several countries are among some of the topic of discussions, Andrä added.

Fireworks, colours of the German flag and the two countries’ national anthems, which were played by the Abu Dhabi Police Music Band, encapsulated a true sense of patriotic fervour during the celebrations.

Top diplomats made their way to the celebrations and congratulated Germany on this iconic day.

David Chaplin, First Secretary and Consul at the Australian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, said: “I visited Germany before and it’s a beautiful country. I would like to congratulate the country and its people on this day and praise the achievements that they were able to embrace.”

People from all walks of life, representing different nationalities, were also in attendance to mark this day.

Aisha Al Mansouri, a 22-year old Emirati student from Khalifa University, said that she decided to join the celebrations as a way to express her gratitude for a country with such a robust culture of hospitality.

“I went to Germany for a six-week internship at Diehl, a German defence company, which is also one of my university’s partners. My educational and cultural experience in Germany was very rewarding, and I am here tonight to extend my appreciation for this country.”