Minister of Energy & Industry visits Western Canada, deepens UAE ties with Alberta and Canada … reports Asian Lite News.
Suhail Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Industry, has visited Calgary in Canada’s western Province of Alberta from July 8th-11th, to attend the inaugural Canada-UAE Business Council (CUBC) Symposium, the Stampede Investment Forum, and serve as the key-note speaker at the TD Securities Calgary Energy Conference. He was joined by Fahad Saeed Al Raqbani, UAE Ambassador to Canada.
Suhail Al Mazrouei met with officials from the Canadian federal government, including Canada’s Minister of International Trade Francois-Philippe Champagne; Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Ahmed Hussen; Minister of Agriculture & Agri-Food Lawrence MacAulay; Alberta’s Premier Rachel Notley; the province’s Minister of Energy Margaret Ellen McCuaig-Boyd; Minister of Agriculture Oneil John Carlier, as well as several other federal and provincial parliamentarians and members of the Canadian business community, to explore ways to improve the already strong relationship between the UAE and the Province of Alberta in particular, and Canada as a whole.
In the presence of the UAE Minister and Ambassador, Alberta’s Minister of Economic Development & Trade Deron Bilous announced that the Government of Alberta will be opening a representational office in the UAE this autumn to broaden Alberta-UAE ties.
Al Mazrouei commended the decision and remarked, “We welcome this step from the Alberta government to establish a representation office in the UAE, which will promote new opportunities.”
Bilous spoke of the establishment of this new office as a next step in UAE-Alberta bilateral relations following his impressive visit last year to the UAE, and stressed the importance of the UAE market for Alberta; referring to the UAE and Canada as ‘natural partners’.
Al Mazrouei emphasised to government officials and the business sector the importance of the Alberta and Canadian relationship for the UAE. He pointed out that the current relationship just touched “the tip of the iceberg”, and discussed key sectors which could be enhanced between the two countries from innovation, AI, food security, to green technology.
The Minister also encouraged Canadians to take advantage of the US$150 billion of investment opportunities available over the next five years in UAE. He also highlighted the value of the UAE’s unique global positioning as a gateway to the broader regions of Asia, Africa, India and the Middle East – with the UAE being just an eight hour flight from two thirds of the world’s population; encouraging Alberta and Canada to take full advantage of this.
He further noted that the true mark of successful bilateral relations is when both sides have reciprocal investment relationships in each other’s country market.
Al Mazrouei extended his appreciation to the Government of Alberta for its hospitality during his visit, and looked forward to future visits and cooperation from various levels of government between the two countries.
