The United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates: strategic partners for generations to come

Yesterday I returned to the UAE. The Middle Eastern destination I have frequented the most since becoming a Member of the UK’s Parliament. I am delighted to be back and witness yet again the generosity of the Emirati culture and the common ties which bind us; from regional security matters to growing commercial ties covering energy, defence, health and education.

Today His Excellency Dr Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, and I will hold the fourteenth bilateral ministerial meeting (the UK-UAE Taskforce), first established during Prime Minister David Cameron’s visit in 2010. It has since gone from strength to strength and remains a most important forum to discuss issues that cover the depth and breadth of the close relationship between our two countries.

Since 2010 we have seen an upgrade of our commitment, engagement and cooperation with every one of our Gulf partners, reflecting our clear understanding that your security is our security, your prosperity is our prosperity, your stability is our stability. In this context, I would like to express our gratitude to the UAE and its Armed Forces for its involvement in securing the return of the British hostage from Yemen.

Our commitment to this region continues to grow. We have significant numbers of military personnel in the Gulf region fighting extremism. Our forces have carried out the second highest number of strikes against Daesh in Iraq and the second biggest contribution of surveillance and intelligence. We deliver Counter-IED training to forces in Iraq, infantry skills to Peshmerga in Kurdistan and the first tranche of moderate Syrian forces trained by the UK are now back in Syria.

I should stress that there should be no doubt about our commitment to regional security or stability following the reopening of our Embassy in Tehran. We have not in any way weakened our resolve to stand with our allies and partners in the Gulf and will continue to work with them to prevent interference in the internal affairs of the countries in this region.

The UAE, together with the UK, is an active member of the international community and a vital ally in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism. At this UK-UAE Taskforce we will be discussing ways we can do more together to support regional stability and security from these threats and continue our major role in the anti-Daesh coalition.

We will also be discussing wider areas of cooperation. The humanitarian issues facing the region are well known. The UK is proud that we were the first country to be a partner in the UAE’s International Humanitarian City. We have donated £900 million to assist those affected by the conflict in Syria, our largest ever humanitarian response to a single crisis. We have committed a further £55 million to support the humanitarian response in Yemen. And we remain the second largest bilateral contributor of humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians through the UN Works and Relief Agency.

My friendship with Dr Anwar Gargash mirrors the warmth of the wider relationship.

The UK is a hub of innovation, entrepreneurism and excellence. We share the UAE’s drive for educational excellence. We welcome thousands of young Emiratis to the UK every year to attend our first class universities. And we share the UAE’s drive to innovate and diversify. There are over 4,000 British businesses here.

Our bilateral trade relationship was worth over £12 billion by the end of 2013. The UK-UAE Business Council has set a goal to increase that to £25 billion by 2020. The UAE is the UK’s 12th largest trading partner, and I am proud that British companies such as Shell, Rolls Royce, HSBC and Standard Chartered Bank, just to name a few, are long established here – some for over eighty years. Earlier this year Rolls Royce established its biggest ever partnership with Emirates Airlines.

The UK, the UAE and the Gulf region should see each other as strategic partners for generations to come, not just in the face of the challenges of the present, forging mutually reinforcing partnerships for security, for prosperity and for stability.