The opportunities to forge greater trade partnerships between the UAE and the UK were highlighted at an exclusive Hawksford breakfast event in Dubai this week.
Taking place on 17 October 2024 in the Jumeirah Business Centre, the roundtable event brought together a broad cross-section of business leaders and sector experts to discuss the challenges and opportunities to fostering strategic partnerships, particularly with the UK-GCC Free Trade Agreement on the horizon.
Expert insights were shared at the event by Bradley Jones, Executive Director, UAE-UK Business Council, and Laura Bos, Head of the Export Support Service in the Middle East and Pakistan at the UK’s Department for Business and Trade.
Focussing on the key emerging trends in UK-UAE trade flows, Bradley offered his insights into the impact of the UK-GCC Free Trade Agreement on the UAE investment landscape, the UAE's economic diversification away from fossil fuels, and the emergence of new opportunities through artificial intelligence, skills and creativity.
Laura provided her expert opinion on business opportunities in the region for UK SMEs. She highlighted the UK export flows to the region, and into the UAE specifically, including the main industries of interest to UK business. She shared her thoughts on the challenges of market entry as well as the opportunities that a future FTA will bring across the region.
Commenting on the event, Chrissi Zamora, Managing Director - Dubai at Hawksford, who also moderated the roundtable, said:
“This event has come at a pivotal time in the evolution of the trade relationship between the UK and the UAE – notably coming just days after the UK Government’s International Investment Conference, where UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer sent out a strong ‘open for business’ message to overseas investors. With the UK-GCC Free Trade Agreement in sight, there are significant prospects for mutually beneficial growth and bilateral trade across both the GCC and the UK.
“The exploration of that potential at this roundtable not only provided food for thought but also set out some significant avenues for collaboration, partnerships and innovation across both regions – something that our team at Hawksford is well placed to facilitate.”
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