A flourishing alliance

Over the past few years, the Netherlands and the UAE have exchanged high-level delegations as part of the ever-growing relationship between the two countries. In January, the UAE received Crown Prince Willem-Alexander along with his wife Princess Maxima. This month, the Dutch State Secretary for Finance, Jan Kees de Jager, has been visiting and in January 2010, Dutch Minister of Economy Maria van den Hoeven will tour the UAE. The UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan has also visited the Netherlands.

Like the UAE, the Netherlands is a country with a long history of trading and it acts as
a hub for the European region. In this capacity, the Netherlands is the world’s fifth largest exporter, according to the latest WTO rankings.

“The UAE remains among one of the most important trading partners for the Netherlands in the Middle East,” says Gilles Beschoor Plug, the Dutch Ambassador to the UAE.

“In 2008, trade with the UAE surpassed other partners such as Saudi Arabia, with exports rising to 2.2 billion euros (about Dh11.9 billion), whilst imports stood at slightly above 700 million euros (about Dh3.7 billion). The trading partnership has grown exponentially since 2004, when exports from the Netherlands stood at 1.2 billion euros (about Dh6.5 billion).”

Despite the financial crisis, Ambassador Plug says the trading volumes have remained relatively stable and early indications for the first quarter of 2010 are encouraging. Exports from the Netherlands last January and February amounted to 682 million euros (about Dh3.7 billion), compared with 715 million euros (about Dh3.8 billion) in the same period in 2008.

Kindred spirits
The UAE is the largest trading partner for the Netherlands in the MENA region, surpassing other larger countries such as Saudi Arabia. Ambassador Plug is certain that this is due to the similarities between the two countries: both are small, surrounded by larger neighbours, face the sea and use the sea in order to realise an ever-expanding trading hub.

Dutch exports to the UAE are large and varied, embracing everything from machinery
and transport equipment to data-processing machinery and office equipment. The Netherlands also has sizeable imports from the UAE, mainly consisting of mineral fuels, petroleum products and chemicals, and manufactured goods.

“We hope to encourage trade and exchanges between our two countries in 2010 by ratifying the Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement we signed in 2008, as well as finalising the Investment Protection Agreement that is under negotiation,” says Ambassador Plug.

Attractive destination
The Dutch expatriate population fluctuates, but there are generally about 5,500 Dutch citizens in the UAE at any given time. “The UAE is well-known in the Netherlands and attracts people from all walks of life. Many come to work, but some also come for the lifestyle,” says Ambassador Plug.

“The Dutch are entrepreneurial people and this is reflected through the many smaller businesses set up by Dutch citizens living in the UAE. The UAE, with innovative economic sectors like renewable energy, offers a unique mix of challenges and opportunities, which very much connects to the Dutch mind.”

Dutch tourists to Abu Dhabi almost doubled between 2007 and 2008 to just over 18,000 (by guest nights), making the Netherlands the fifth ranking country of origin in Europe for tourists to Abu Dhabi. In Dubai, the Netherlands was also the fifth-ranking country of origin in Europe in 2008, with close to 84,000 tourists from the Netherlands.

“The UAE is an attractive destination for Dutch tourists seeking sun, sand, culture and,
of course, shopping. Many Dutch citizens who visit the UAE also return to the country to work and live here, enjoying the expatriate lifestyle that is offered in the UAE.”

Each year the Dutch Embassy arranges and participates in a number of activities and conferences. This month it hosted a photo exhibition entitled ‘Rebuilding Afghanistan:
a global responsibility’ at the Ghaf Gallery in Abu Dhabi, which covered the reconstruction efforts of the Afghan people with the support of the Dutch military.

Currently, the initial preparations for the establishment of the Benelux Business Group are being made, and the embassy hopes to officially launch the Business Group later this year (Benelux referring to the cooperation between Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg). “It will vastly increase the accessibility and visibility of our commercial entities, enhance our standing within the Abu Dhabi community and serve as a catalyst for future relations between our countries,” says the ambassador.

The Netherlands will also have a large country pavilion at the 2010 World Future Energy Summit in January, and Dutch Minister of Economy Maria van der Hoeven will visit the summit and give a speech.

According to Ambassador Plug, the Netherlands is among the most multicultural countries in Europe, with close to 1,500 international study programmes and courses.
It offers high-quality education and research, with 11 universities ranked among the top 200 in the world. The Netherlands has received global acclaim for its ground-breaking Problem-Based Learning system, which trains students to analyse and solve practical problems independently through an emphasis on self-study and self-discipline.

For easy to access information on studying and living in the Netherlands, the ambassador encourages people to visit the website of the Netherlands Organisation for International Cooperation in Higher Education — NUFFIC in short — at www.nuffic.nl

On the lighter side

For Ambassador Plug the lighter side of life is where work and hobbies come together. “A diplomat’s life has many different aspects and some
of these will always be dear to me,” he says.“ For example, music, it gives me both inspiration and an opportunity to wind down. It is a source of rest and an intellectual exercise: I find it difficult to read a book while music
is playing, as my mind tends to focus on the sentences in the musical score.
“I am very fortunate in having children who are all involved in music: our house vibrates with sounds. I am also very fortunate being in Abu Dhabi
at this point in time, when there is such development in the music and arts.
I am happy to see that these developments do not only cater to a restricted public but are being made to cover the entire population of the country.
I think that is very important in order to start a thriving indigenous musical scene in Abu Dhabi.”
— As told to Andrea Anastasiou