UAE -  British Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to the UAE, Gareth Johnson MP, accompanied by UK Ambassador to the UAE, Edward Hobart, and other officials, paid a visit to Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (Rakez) recently.

The high-profile delegation discussed trade relations between the UK and the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, and explored avenues for future cooperation and potential support for British companies looking to expand in the region.

During the visit, Rakez showcased its key achievements and areas of focus, highlighted solutions to boost the bilateral trade between the UAE and the UK, and shared the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah’s future development plans.

Positive milestone

Welcoming the delegation, Rakez Group CEO Ramy Jallad said: “The British Trade Envoy’s visit signifies a positive milestone in the strengthening of the decades-long valued trade and investment ties between the UK and the UAE. Rakez already houses a great number of British companies thriving in our sustainable business ecosystem backed by our customer-centric approach and innovative business solutions, which enable them to operate seamlessly and access the growing regional and global markets. Presenting such a wide range of opportunities, we are keen to explore further avenues for cooperation with British investors.”

The economic zone has a robust community of over 1,500 UK companies among more than 5,000 British businesses operating across the UAE. These companies span multiple sectors such as services, commercial, trading, education, manufacturing, e-commerce, and media.

The notable enterprises in Rakez include Spatial Composite, a global manufacturer of cabin crew training equipment; Polar Manufacturing, a provider of carbon fibre and composite product solutions; Ahmad Tea, a leading global tea blender and packager; and A2C Services, a supplier of high-quality refurbished laptops worldwide.

Higher education

The delegation expressed keen interest in the higher education facilities within the emirate. They were particularly pleased to discover that four British university branch campuses reside in the Rakez Academic Zone. These include the University of Stirling, University of Bolton, University of West London, and Bath Spa University.

With 100,000 UK nationals residing in the UAE and millions of annual visitors, businesses including those within Rakez are exposed to a diverse range of cultures and a global audience eager for innovative offerings.

The UK is the UAE’s largest European trade partner as of 2022, with exports to the UK amounting to approximately $2.34 billion. The launch of the GCC-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) last year is expected to further strengthen this strategic economic relationship. 

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