PRESIDENT MARY McAleese yesterday expressed hope that the opening of an Irish embassy in the United Arab Emirates later this year will usher in a new era of enhanced co-operation and trade between the two countries.
The announcement earlier this week that the Government had approved plans to open an embassy in Abu Dhabi has been warmly received by the 4,000-strong Irish community in the UAE. Up to now, the UAE has come under the responsibility of the Irish Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Addressing guests at a reception hosted by Enterprise Ireland in Dubai yesterday evening, Mrs McAleese spoke of the potential of the bilateral relationship between Ireland and the UAE.
“There has been significant growth in trade between Ireland and the Gulf region in recent years, which is particularly gratifying given the highly competitive global trading environment,” the President said, noting that an increasing number of Irish com-panies had opened offices in Dubai, using it as a hub to develop business in the region.
“There is real potential for sales growth in areas such as banking software, telecoms, and e-learning, third-level education . . . utility services and healthcare products and services,” she added.
Mrs McAleese acknowledged that the growing bilateral ties between the two countries had been bolstered by Irish expatriates in the region. “We are fortunate to have several thousand Irish people living and working here and we know they do a great job as unpaid ambassadors for Ireland and Irish business, helping to raise the profile of Ireland in the region,” she said.
Referring to the global economic crisis, the President said such turmoil challenges us to “galvanise our very best efforts to sustain and develop our global partnerships and global trade”.
Mrs McAleese had earlier discussed the importance of developing strong alliances in the midst of the global downturn at a lunch with Irish business leaders in the Emirates and later during a meeting with UAE finance minister and deputy ruler of Dubai Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Sheikh Hamdan and his brother Sheikh Mohammed are well-known within the Irish bloodstock industry as they own a number of stud farms in the country, including Kildangan Stud in Co Kildare.
Mrs McAleese went on to visit the Maktoums’ Meydan racecourse development.
There she toured the stables and met with champion jockey Johnny Murtagh and Irish participants in the Darley Flying Start management training programme, established by Sheikh Mohammed in 2003 to nurture those interested in a career in the thoroughbred industry.
From there, the President travelled to the Dubai Celts GAA club where she met club members who had travelled from across the Emirates for the occasion.