A princely boost to UAE-UK relations

Right since its foundation in 1971, the UAE is known to have robust bilateral relationship with the United Kingdom covering economic, strategic and cultural interests, a local daily said today.

The visit of HRH Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, and his wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, has made the ties more special, said The Gulf Today in an editorial on Wednesday.

The UAE is known as a land of generosity. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the UAE disbursed 1.26 percent of its Gross National Income in 2014 as development assistance, making it literally second to none in benevolence.

Prince Charles has rightly highlighted this as one of the facets of the "remarkable legacy" of the country’s founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

The bond between the two nations can be gauged by the fact that around 5,000 UK businesses operate in the UAE and more than 100,000 British nationals live and work in the UAE.

There are approximately 170 flights each week between the UAE and the UK, operated by British Airways, Etihad Airways, and Emirates.

The UAE is the UK’s twelfth largest trading partner, with bilateral trade figures reaching AED63 billion in 2015. The City of London, the UK’s global financial centre, and Abu Dhabi have established close links.

The inauguration the UAE-UK Year of Culture 2017 also signifies the grand importance of the collaboration. The UAE Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, with the guidance of the Court of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, will directly support the programme across the Emirates, in conjunction with the British Council, an organisation that has long strengthened the UAE-UK relationship.

The year will be marked by events promoting cultural and economic links in areas such as arts, education, sport and science.

The presentation by the Prince of Wales of a digital replica of ancient Holy Quran fragments discovered by the UK’s University of Birmingham has also turned out to be a major highlight of the visit. The original Quran fragment, possibly the oldest in the world, remains in the University of Birmingham and has been hailed as a major discovery. It marks the symbolic return, at least in replica form, of a manuscript that was made in the Middle East in the earliest years of the Muslim faith.

"What makes the relationship extraordinary is the fact that the UAE and UK share a common view on crucial subjects like tolerance, respect of cultural diversity, and the acceptance of intellectual and religious values," concluded the Sharjah-based daily.