KARACHI: Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Faisal Niaz Tirmizi invited Emirati businesspersons to invest in key economic sectors of the South Asian country, including agriculture, information technology and energy, Pakistan’s consulate general in Dubai said on Tuesday.
Over 100 Pakistani and Emirati businesspersons attended the “Business Opportunities Conference Dubai” held in Dubai on Monday. The conference explored potential areas for business collaborations between the two countries and featured detailed panel discussions by business experts.
“We deeply encourage business-to-business collaboration among the business community of Pakistan and UAE,” Tirmizi was quoted as saying by the consulate general at the event. “We warmly invite Emirati investors to invest in Pakistan’s real estate, energy, agriculture, I.T and other sectors.”
Tirmizi said over 60 percent of Pakistan’s population comprised people who were younger than 30 years old, adding that the country of 241 million people offers immense opportunities for investment in diverse fields. He said Pakistan and the UAE enjoy an “exemplary relationship” and that the Pakistani diaspora has contributed significantly to the UAE’s progress and development.
Dr. Abdulrahman Hassan Al Muaini, the assistant undersecretary for intellectual property rights sector at the UAE’s Ministry of Economy, welcomed Pakistani delegates at the conference.
“He [Al Muaini] highlighted that UAE and Pakistan offer immense potential and opportunities for business communities of both the countries,” the Pakistani consulate general said. “He hoped for positive outcomes from the ongoing interactions between the businessmen of both the countries.”
Pakistan and the UAE are close allies, with the Gulf nation being Pakistan’s third-largest trade partner after China and the United States. It is also viewed as an ideal export destination by policymakers in the South Asian country due to its geographical proximity with Pakistan.
In January, Pakistan and the UAE signed multiple agreements worth over $3 billion for cooperation in railways, economic zones and infrastructure at the World Economic Forum summit in Davos.
The UAE is also home to an estimated 1.8 million Pakistani expatriates and, after Saudi Arabia, is the second-largest source of remittances for the South Asian nation.
