Abu Dhabi: The new Australian ambassador to the UAE said he sees Australia as a natural partner for the UAE across all fields of endeavour.
Arthur Spyrou, the new Australian Ambassador to the UAE, takes up from his predecessor, Pablo Kang.
A career diplomat, Spyrou has spent nearly two decades working to further Australia’s interests in places as varied as Paris, Kuala Lumpur, Athens and Nauru and he requested the posting to the UAE when it would become available.
“The UAE is a place which does not stand still; there is rapid change underpinned by old and fascinating traditions,” he said.
“We wanted to be a part of that community and of that successful relationship and to contribute to its impressive trajectory of growth.”
The new ambassador said he admires the calibre of the UAE’s achievements in a short time frame, its ambitions and outward-looking instincts.
His role, said the ambassador, “ ... comes down to a few simple things: knowing and believing in the country you represent; working hard to understand the local people and culture; bringing an integrity and honesty to your dealings; and of course, adding a healthy dose of Australian humour to the mix.
“My own ambition is to promote Australia for the exciting, diverse and innovative country that it is, and as a natural partner for the UAE across all fields of endeavour.”
A highlight of his role in the UAE, the ambassador said, will be to meet and work with the 23,000-strong Australian expatriate community in the country, which he said is the ninth-largest community of Australians abroad.
The ambassador is also committed to supporting approximately 360 Australian registered companies here, and the 2,000 Australian exporters to the UAE.
“Formal bilateral trade and investment ties will be another key priority,” he said, “which I will be working hard to enhance through the conclusion of a free-trade agreement with the GCC.”
The ambassador will be aided in this by the first Australian embassy in Doha, scheduled to open in April.
Until then, his mission will manage Australia’s interests in Qatar from Abu Dhabi.
“I’ve always had a strong interest and affinity with the region, so I’m very keen to learn more about Arab literary traditions, and perhaps, when my Arabic gets better, to read some of the classic texts in the original.”
He’ll be working to improve his Arabic for both professional and personal reasons, he said.
Spyrou and his wife, Britt, have three sons — aged four, six and eight — and he’s looking forward to discovering the UAE’s cultural experiences with them.
Noni Edwards is a Dubai-based freelance journalist.
