A dynamic relationship

In keeping with the changing times, Australia and the UAE develop new areas of cooperation to build on existing strong ties.

Traditionally based on trade and cooperation, relations between Australia and the UAE have always been warm. While the Australian Prime Minister and several state ministers have visited the UAE in the past few years, General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, has been the most high-profile visitor to Australia in recent times. The UAE is also Australia's second largest market in the Gulf, with excellent growth prospects.

According to the Australian Ambassador to the UAE, Jeremy Bruer, "The UAE is experiencing an amazing period of economic and social growth and development. We consider ourselves extremely fortunate to be here during this exciting time. The bilateral relationship between Australia and the UAE is close, strong and dynamic, which makes my job not just demanding and challenging, but fascinating and rewarding. The quality of life here is also good, and Emiratis are very generous hosts. My family finds life here most agreeable."

There are about 15,000 Australians living in the UAE at the moment, but the number, according to Bruer, "could even be higher". "Australians come here to participate in the dynamic life of a dynamic country. By and large they are extremely well educated, qualified and motivated to contribute to the UAE's continuing development. Their backgrounds reflect Australia's multi-ethnic, multicultural population, and they come from all walks of life," he says.

According to embassy estimates, the total bilateral trade in goods and services approached Dh20 billion in 2007, making the UAE Australia's largest trading partner in the Middle East. The rate of growth in that trade in recent years has been staggering. Between 2006 and 2007, for example, Australia's merchandise exports to the UAE increased 59 per cent.

"We have a number of bilateral treaties and agreements with the UAE, covering a range of areas including defence and judicial and legal cooperation. The two countries signed an agreement on trade and economic relations and technical relations in 1985, which provides for regular meetings of a joint ministerial commission and provides an excellent basis for all manner of bilateral trade, investment and other commercial activity. In negotiations last year pursuant to our bilateral agreement on air services, Australia agreed that by 2011 the number of flights each week to and from Australia by the UAE airlines — Etihad and Emirates — would be increased to 112. We are currently negotiating a free trade agreement with the GCC, which will, when it's concluded, make it even easier for companies to conduct trade and commercial activity between Australia and the UAE," says Bruer.

There are more than 300 Australian companies registered in the UAE. Many are in construction, infrastructure and engineering and related services, including Leightons, Multiplex, Worley Parsons and GHD. According to Bruer, "Australian architects are well represented here, for example through Woods Bagot and Cox Architects, while a good percentage of the architectural models we see in the UAE are produced by an Australian firm called Modelcraft. Australians and Australian firms here are working in everything from hospital management to road-quality testing, from
food importing to audio-visual training and production, from event management tofinancial and legal services."

The largest single export item from Australia to the UAE is passenger motor vehicles. Australia also exports significant amounts of gold, food and other primary products as well as manufactures. In terms of services, construction and related services feature prominently. Financial services, education and tourism are also important areas. The UAE's principal export to Australia remains crude petroleum.

Over the past year or so, the Australian embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate-General in Dubai have been involved in a number of activities to promote Australia in the UAE. "Apart from supporting very large Australian delegations at the many trade fairs and exhibitions that are held in the UAE — including among others Gulfood, Arab Health, Cityscape (in Abu Dhabi and Dubai), the Big Five, IDEX and the Arab Travel Market — we have supported a number of Australia-specific promotions such as the Australian Food Festival at the JW Marriott Hotel in Dubai and the Australian Food Focus at Rotana hotels in Abu Dhabi and Dubai," says Bruer.

"We also supported several visiting Australian performers and artistes, including the Aboriginal Singing Group, Freshwater, the Jazz Meets Mozart concerts in Dubai and Abu Dhabi and the Together art exhibition in Sharjah. We have also been active in supporting public awareness campaigns, in particular Clean Up the World, which of course was first held in Australia and World Water Day. Perhaps the largest single activity in which we have been involved was the Australian Rules Football match in Ghantoot, which was attended by over 7,000 spectators and showcased Australia's only homegrown sport," he says.

With the construction boom in the UAE, there will be a continued demand for Australian skills in engineering, architectural, project-management, real estate and other construction-related areas. As the UAE continues to develop its education and health sectors, there will also be a requirement for large numbers of people with relevant skills. "Our new Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, has already travelled to the UAE and has had the opportunity to witness first-hand some of the extraordinary developments occurring here. The Australian government clearly recognises the important role the UAE plays in the region and admires greatly the contribution the UAE government has made to attain stability in the Gulf, the wider Middle East and beyond. We also admire the UAE's strong commitment (exemplified in initiatives such as the Mohammad Bin Rashid Foundation) to human development and education and (through the Masdar Future Energy project in Abu Dhabi) to preserve the environment. Above all, we admire the positive example the UAE has set by encouraging economic development and providing opportunities to its people. I look forward to continuing to engage with the UAE on all these issues and more," he says.

Speaking of the Australian contribution to higher education in the UAE, Bruer says, "In terms of student numbers, the University of Wollongong in Dubai is by far the largest institution in Dubai Knowledge Village and has already provided many Emiratis and others with outstanding educational opportunities. Other institutions, including the School of Audio Engineering (which provides education and training in the latest audiovisual technologies for the media and entertainment sector) and Murdoch University, offer courses in communications, media and business.

"In Sharjah, the Victorian International School and the Australian International School provide high-quality learning environments for children, while the medical, pharmacy and dental schools at the University of Sharjah offer curricula and course content provided by Monash University and the University of Adelaide. In Abu Dhabi, New South Wales TAFE (Technical and Further Education) has done an outstanding job to establish and launch in a very tight timeframe the new Abu Dhabi Vocational Education and Training Institute (ADVETI), while students at the Abu Dhabi Women's College can obtain bachelor's degrees from Deakin University and master's degrees from the University of Melbourne. In addition, a large and rapidly growing number of Emiratis are travelling to Australia to study. From my perspective as an ambassador, there is no better way to build warm relations with another nation, or to get to know its culture better, than by having your young people study in each other's countries. In future, I hope to see more Australians choosing to further their education in the UAE, and more connections and cooperative activities between the UAE and Australian institutions so that our existing links continue to grow and strengthen."

The Australian government recently announced its first budget, highlighting health reform as both a vital social priority and an urgent economic priority. It will establish a A$10 billion (Dh35.2 billion) Health and Hospitals Fund to support strategic investments in health and hospital facilities and equipment, medical technology and research facilities. It is the single largest investment in health infrastructure ever made by an Australian government.

According to Bruer, "Australia is building a health workforce for the future by encouraging up to 8,750 qualified nurses to return to the workforce, expanding support for obstetricians and doctors providing specialist support in rural areas and doubling placements of medical students in rural communities. The Australian government has also announced an A$85 million (Dh299.5 million) national plan to support women who experience pre and post-natal depression, a A$249 million (Dh877.2 million) National Cancer Plan to improve diagnosis and treatment, a further A$293.2 million (Dh1,033 million) to help older people to regain their independence and A$300 million (Dh1,057.3 million) in zero real interest loans to aged care providers. The Australian government believes that drug and alcohol abuse is dangerous to individuals and unacceptable to the community and is committing A$53.6 million (Dh189 million)
to tackle binge drinking, A$15 million (Dh52.8 million) to help reduce smoking and a national campaign to educate users of other drugs.

"Australia has particularly strong and growing links with the UAE in the healthcare sector.

For example, Australia's Griffith University is running nursing degree courses and at Sharjah University the course content at the dental, medical and pharmacy schools are provided and managed by the University of Adelaide and Monash University. An Australian company, VHS Global, is helping a number of hospitals and health authorities in the UAE develop new approaches to hospital and healthcare management and policy. Australia, like the UAE, has a mix of public and private provision of healthcare and health insurance and our experience is relevant and potentially beneficial to the UAE.

Australian doctors and nurses and other health professionals are rigorously trained and highly skilled, which is why they are in demand and work successfully in many countries around the world, including the UAE, where an Australian clinic recently opened in Dubai. The significant increase in investment in the Australian healthcare system will benefit residents of the UAE as our advances in medical technology and research will be shared with the UAE through increasing linkages and joint projects," he says.