Dubai to hold forum with its twin Osaka

Dubai and Osaka will hold an economic partnership forum which follows the signing of a twinning cities agreement in 2002.

The three-day forum will be held in Osaka from December 22. The forum aims to bolster trade and economic ties with the Japanese prefecture of Osaka.

Town twinning or sister cities is a concept in which towns or cities from geographically and politically distinct areas are paired, with the accent on fostering human contact and cultural links. In Europe, such pairs are known as twin cities.

Japan is the third-largest trade partner with the UAE, according to the Director General of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Non-oil trade, which constitutes 66 per cent of the flows between the two, has reached Dh13.4 billion. There are almost 100 Jap-anese companies in Dubai and many are shifting their regional bases here.