A senior UAE official praised the “partnership” between his country and the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad in various economic fields, stressing that the partnership is growing by the day. “This growth reflects the strength and durability of the UAE-Syria partnership at various levels,” the official said.
During a meeting with his Syrian regime counterpart Mohammed Samer Khalil, UAE Economy Minister Abdullah bin Touq al-Marri made these comments on the sidelines of the Expo 2020 event in Dubai.
Marri expressed his hope that “the next phase will see the development of relations, which can reach higher levels of partnership” between his country and the Assad regime, especially through “investment in essential and soon-to-be vital sectors.”
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The UAE minister said that his country is “Syria’s most important trading partner globally.” The UAE ranks first in the Arab world and third in terms of trade with the Assad regime, with the country accounting for more than 14% of Syria’s foreign trade.
According to an official statement, the volume of non-oil trade between the two countries reached about AED 2.6 billion in 2020. In the first half of 2021, the trade volume reached about AED 1 billion, while the value of Syrian direct investment in the UAE had exceeded AED 1.5 billion by the end of 2019.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
