Activating a strategic partnership program between Dubai and London towards a new phase of cooperation for growth

The Government of Dubai Media Office organized a series of events, meetings and meetings in the United Kingdom over a whole week, within the framework of the strategic partnership program between the two sides with the aim of strengthening the strong relations between Dubai and the United Kingdom. The meetings focused on exchanging dialogues, experiences and communication between decision makers, influencers and thought leaders from Both sides.

The multi-pronged program was launched within the framework of expanding the scope of Dubai's network of relations, by conducting a renewed dialogue with various sectors in Britain in preparation for the future, especially in the post-pandemic period and in the wake of Britain's exit from the European Union (Brexit) by exploring more ways of cooperation in different sectors. .

Enhance Dubai's position

The Dubai delegation participating in the partnership program included leaders of a number of government institutions in Dubai, foremost of which are the sectors concerned with developing its economy, investments, future technologies, financial services, life sciences, health care, media, culture and creativity.Among the participants in the delegation were Director General of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority Hala Badri, CEO of the Dubai Future Foundation Khalfan Belhoul, Executive Director of the Dubai Investment Development Corporation Fahad Al Gergawi, Executive Director of the Dubai Academic Health Corporation and head of the Control and Control Center to combat the Corona virus, Dr. Amer Ahmed Sharif, Dr. Alawi Al Sheikh Ali, Deputy Director General of the Dubai Health Authority, Shamsa Saleh, Executive Director of the Dubai Women Establishment, Waleed Saeed Al Awadi, Chief Operating Officer of the Dubai Financial Services Authority, Noura Al Abbar, Director of External Media at the Government of Dubai Media Office, and Huda Al Hashemi, Assistant Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Strategic Affairs UAE Ambassador to the United Kingdom Mansour Belhoul, and Director of the International Liaison Office at the Dubai Government Media Office Aisha bin Kali.

On the British side, a group of senior officials in various government sectors, including academia, business, culture and media sectors, and a number of influential figures in the field of entrepreneurship in Britain participated in the meetings.

In general, the Dubai delegation met with more than 80 prominent British personalities, including the British Minister of State for Education and Minister of Science, Research and Innovation, Lord Audny Lister, the British co-chair of the UAE British Business Council and Deputy Mayor of London for the Business Sector, and the Trade Commissioner of the Queen of Britain for the Middle East, As well as representatives from the Department for International Trade and the British Chambers of Commerce and a number of the most prominent leaders of the British private sector, including: Brent Huberman, co-founder and CEO of Founders Factory, and Warren East, CEO of Rolls-Royce.

Mona Gham Al Marri, Director-General of the Government of Dubai Media Office, said: "The latest partnership program between Dubai and the UK is part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen Dubai's position as a positive partner in strategic markets around the world. Through constructive communication and dialogue, we seek to enhance Dubai's position as a preferred destination characterized by Tolerance and diversity, with its supportive vision for those who aspire to play a positive and influential role in shaping the features of the future.The partnership program would explore many avenues for Dubai to enhance the distinguished partnership with Britain, not only at the government, public and business levels, but also at the level of sectors Media, sports, life sciences, culture, cultural and creative communities, and broader civil society.

Empowering culture and sharing success

For her part, Director General of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, Hala Badri, said: "Dubai is an incubator of creativity and home to a dynamic, resilient and thriving cultural community, which we are proud to promote globally. This open and continuous dialogue with our partners in Britain on how to enable the cultural sector to meet future challenges is vital. towards achieving our vision, as we continue to cement our position as a global hub for arts and culture.”

Regarding the aspirations of both sides towards finding ideal formulas to reach a future full of opportunities, Khalfan Belhoul, CEO of the Dubai Future Foundation, said: "The entrepreneurial spirit that we witnessed during the partnership program gave us a wonderful platform to share successes and knowledge, especially in the field of technology. The UAE and Britain provide strong foundations. To develop a thriving future technology ecosystem. By joining forces and working together, we can continue to play our part in shaping the future of innovation."

On cooperation in the field of gender equality, Her Excellency Shamsa Saleh, Executive Director of the Dubai Women Establishment, said: “Gender equality is a global issue, and we seek to benefit from best practices from around the world to create a better society. The partnership program was a great opportunity for change makers from Dubai and the Kingdom United to build new alliances, share experiences, and focus our efforts on empowering women.”

Prospects for scientific cooperation

On the level of health services, the Executive Director of the Dubai Academic Health Corporation and head of the Control and Control Center to combat the Corona virus in Dubai, Dr. Amer Ahmed Sharif, said: “During our visit to the Norwich Research Complex, we were pleased to learn about the new UK in the field of innovation in the life sciences, health and technology sector. The exchange of ideas, knowledge and experience has deepened our relations with the UK within these industries. With so much multidisciplinary expertise working under a common vision, the future of cooperation looks promising.”

The Deputy Director-General of the Dubai Health Authority, Dr. Alawi Sheikh Ali, expressed his appreciation for the progress of the British side in the scientific field and said: "There is a distinguished group of scientists and researchers at the Norwich Research Complex. Our meeting with distinguished scientists and thinkers in the world, and all of them deal with the largest The medical and technical challenges facing humanity motivate us to reach a deeper level of partnership with Britain and the global scientific community.”

Investment and joint opportunities

On the aspect related to cooperation in the investment fields, His Excellency Fahad Al Gergawi, Executive Director of the Dubai Investment Development Corporation, said: "FDI flows between the UK and the UAE continue to drive growth for both sides across a range of sectors. It was a visit to the UK and meeting with business leaders and society International investors are an important avenue for us to discuss how to enhance Dubai’s attractiveness as a leading destination for foreign direct investment globally and regionally.”

On cooperation in the financial sector, His Excellency Waleed Saeed Al-Awadi, Chief Operating Officer of the DFSA, said: “Our trade and investment relations with the United Kingdom are very strong, and this partnership program has helped us deepen those ties. The diverse expertise and experiences of the members of the delegation have led The Dubai co-host and our British hosts have accelerated the pace of cooperation and knowledge exchange between the two sides. As a result, our relations have strengthened, and we can focus on new levels of cooperation, while looking forward to benefiting from a future of common opportunities."

For her part, Director of External Media at the Government of Dubai Media Office praised the positive impact of the new program, Noura Al Abbar, and said: “The partnership program witnessed fruitful discussions and a rich exchange of ideas on how Dubai and Britain can cooperate to create new growth opportunities in a changing world. It held over the course of a week many valuable perspectives on how the two sides can strengthen their ties of cooperation in a wide range of vital sectors and continue to revitalize the dynamic links formed over a long history of solid relations.

She added: "The program provided an exemplary platform for discussing many vital topics, based on Dubai's position as a destination for business, entrepreneurship, innovation, talent and culture. This partnership promises to add new dimensions to trade and investment between Dubai and the United Kingdom through ways that not only benefit both sides, but also contribute to creating new dimensions for trade and investment between Dubai and the United Kingdom. A better world."

Huda Al Hashemi, Assistant Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Strategy, said: “During our visit to the UK, we met many talented policymakers, entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs, all committed to driving innovation across the public and private sectors. From life sciences to financial services, creative intelligence and innovation have been The strategist is at the forefront of all discussions, and we look forward to building on the successful experiences.”

Three main sectors

Focusing on three overlapping sectors: global citizenship, life sciences (which includes medicine, artificial intelligence, fintech, trade, energy and climate) and well-being (including health, lifestyle, tourism, sports, creativity and entertainment), the partnership program sought to create a new, integrated image of Dubai. Politicians, thought leaders, key sector officials, innovators and investors in the United Kingdom, in line with Dubai's aspirations to be a leading global player in many vital sectors.

The growing partnership between Dubai and Britain comes against the backdrop of strengthening trade and investment relations between the two sides.

According to the Dubai Index of Foreign Direct Investments, Britain topped the list of foreign direct investments in Dubai during 2021, with a share of 27% of the total of these investments.

Britain also ranked second in the list of foreign direct investment projects in 2021, with a share of 18% of the total projects.

The UAE is a key market for Britain's post-Brexit trade ambitions, with the UK aiming to double the number of companies exporting goods and services worldwide.

New opportunities in a changing world

The partnership program, organized by the Dubai Government Media Office in London, kicked off with a "round table focused on cooperation in the fields of sport and culture", within a dialogue that included a number of senior thinkers and managers from the British sports and culture sectors, led by Lord Tony Hall, former director general of the Broadcasting Corporation. The British "BBC", and Skindar Hundal, Director of Arts at the British Council.

Discussions focused on strengthening sports and cultural relations between Dubai and Britain, exploring opportunities for strategic cooperation and exchanging experiences, and shed light on Dubai's strategic vision to enhance its position as a global center for culture and sports.

The program included a meeting that brought together senior business leaders and strategists from British government institutions and the British private sector, addressing British trade goals and opportunities in the post-Brexit era, and identifying areas of common commercial interest between the UAE and the United Kingdom.

 The meeting provided an opportunity to highlight Dubai's position as one of the world's most open cities for business and trade in the post-pandemic period, and to review a number of its mega projects such as the "Dubai Expo City".

The discussions touched on a variety of topics, the most important of which are the growth of bilateral trade between Dubai and Britain, the future of global supply chains and the knowledge economy, as well as next-generation technologies such as financial technology “fintech”, “blockchain” and “cryptocurrencies”.

Among the important events held on the sidelines of the program, a meeting with British women entrepreneurs, where the Dubai delegation had the opportunity to highlight Dubai's success in achieving gender balance, its future goals in this field, and opportunities to enhance cooperation between the two sides in the same context.

Shaping the future of technology

Within the framework of the programme, the “Techathon” event was organized and hosted by the Home Crown Club, the leading business club in Britain, and the discussion was moderated by the well-known entrepreneur and presenter Oli Barrett, with the participation of a group of technology leaders, businessmen and specialists from Dubai and London. A review of the technical success stories of the two sides, technology strategies, technology platforms and environmental systems for each of the two cities.

Khalfan Belhoul, CEO of the Dubai Future Foundation, delivered a lecture entitled "Reshaping Tomorrow", during which he presented Dubai's vision for the future of technology.

The delegation highlighted Dubai's position as a platform for promising young tech entrepreneurs to launch ambitious projects.

The meeting allowed the Dubai delegation to connect with 50 promising tech innovators from all over the Kingdom.

The Dubai delegation also had the opportunity to explain the success stories of accelerators programs in Dubai to Brent Huberman, the visionary for The Founders Factory, one of the world's leading startup accelerators.

As part of expanding the program's scope outside London, the Dubai delegation also visited a number of sites in the Tech Corridor between Cambridge and Norwich, which is home to many of the world's leading life sciences research institutions in Britain.

The visit to Norwich Research Park provided an opportunity to present Dubai's technology and innovation ecosystems to a selection of decision makers, business and knowledge leaders, in addition to highlighting Dubai's success in combating the Covid-19 pandemic, accelerating the process of returning to normal life, and openness in all areas of life, as well as monitoring areas of common interest. Among the life sciences sectors in Dubai and the United Kingdom.

The delegation also visited Oxford University, to participate in a training workshop in the field of communications within the framework of the strategic learning platform of the Dubai Government Media Office, which is intended for government executive leaders.

The workshop reviewed lessons learned from harnessing complex science to support action against COVID-19.   

Noura Al Abbar stressed that the great success of the visit is a promising start for the partnership programme, while she explained the intention of the Dubai Government Media Office to organize a series of events annually that would accelerate the process of knowledge exchange and cooperation, support communication, enhance new partnerships, and deepen relations between Dubai and Britain on a large scale to include a larger group of different sectors and areas of life.               

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