Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, who is visiting the Gulf, has addressed a Round table Business Forum with the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce. He was also present for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Mohamed Rashed Al Hameli, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Alan Camilleri, Chairman Malta Enterprise.
Also present were Foreign Minister Tonio Borg, Finance Minister Tonio Fenech and the Foreign Trade Minister of the United Arab Emirates,
In his address Dr Gonzi spoke on Malta’s successes as an investment destination, particularly for pharmaceutical and aircraft maintenance companies, IT and financial services.
He underlined Malta’s strengths and said that the country's smallness enabled it to rapidly carve out and cater for emerging economic niches and technology through flexibility and adaptability.
Sheikh Lubna urged Malta's businesses and investors to explore areas of opportunities the UAE offers in non-oil industries.
''Non-oil industries as healthcare, special events, education, and information and communications technology accounted for about 66 per cent of our annual GDP last year, contributing about € 135 billion to our foreign trade, so there are many options for you consider," he said.
He said that the UAE considered Malta an important commercial partner.
"Like the Emirates, Malta counts on its strategic geographic location as a key business and investment advantage. We are also both pursuing broader roles in international trade and affairs. We thus have much to gain by mutually exploring the commercial and economic opportunities available in our respective countries."
He said that some of the areas that showed exceptionally strong partnership prospects were tourism and energy.
"Both our nations have popular heritage sites that can attract a steady bilateral inflow of travellers. The narrowing ratio of Malta's inbound to outbound tourists indicates that more of its residents are going abroad for leisure, and the UAE just so happens to be on of the world's top travel destinations."
(Picture: DOI).