PHOTO
30 June 2016
What image springs to mind when you think about Canada? Most people will probably picture a hockey game, or maple syrup or the famous Mounties in their iconic red uniforms.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), like the rest of the world, will mark Canada's 149th birthday this Friday with the annual celebrations to mark Canada Day. While the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are unlikely to make an appearance, you can grab a coffee from one of many Tim Horton's cafes across the UAE and head down to the ice hockey game being staged by the Canadian embassy on Friday.
The match is being organised by the UAE Ice Sport Federation at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi from 6pm and will include ice skating and an ice hockey match between the UAE national team and a collection of local Canadian residents.Canada Day will be marked by the more than 45 thousand Canadians who live and work in the UAE.
"There's a lot of people in the real estate, architecture sector, retail sector, and of course a big number in oil and gas sectors too," Daniel Murphy, vice president for Canadian Business Council (CBC) in Dubai, told Zawya in a phone interview. "I think there is a lot of common interests, Canada's economy has a lot of investment knowledge experience, nuclear power, and oil and gas sector," he added.
The two countries have strong trade links, with around 150 Canadian companies based in the UAE and investments in Canada by UAE companies amounting to $10 billion, according to data from the Canadian embassy in Abu Dhabi. "We have seen the trade relationship steadily grow over the past years reaching over $2 billion in Canadian exports [to the UAE] last year - a record year for us," Canada's Consul General in Dubai, Emmanuel Kamarianakis, told Zawya.
"The UAE is a strong investor into Canada, with the recent $750 million investment by DP World into a port container facility in Prince Rupert, British Columbia providing a good example of the type of strategic investment that are taking place," he added.
However, relations have not always been so cordial. A dispute erupted in 2010 when Canada rejected a request from the UAE for more landing rights to Canadian cities for its fast-growing airlines, especially Dubai-based Emirates. The UAE then increased the cost of a visa for Canadians to enter the country.However, Jack Matar, chairman of CBC in Abu Dhabi, said tensions between the two sides has now subsided: "There are no tensions whatsoever, the visa tension in 2010 is behind us. Even during the issue, there were few billion dollars investment by UAE (businessmen into Canada)."
"We done really see any of that anymore, Emirates is now the strategic airline partner for the Canadian business council... The relationship between Canada and UAE is better than it has ever been, that was a short term to commercial issue, got a little bit out of control but managed to shape back and is in premium shape now," Murphy added.
Indeed, in December last year, Air Canada launched its non-stop service between Dubai and Toronto, giving more Canadians the opportunity to do business in the UAE, and vice versa. One business that made the leap from Canada to the UAE is Weslodge in the JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai, which will be marking the national celebrations with a special Canada Day menu. Open in Dubai since April, the lounge originates from Toronto and its special dishes on offer on Friday will include traditional Canadian dishes with a twist, such as lobster poutine, a Quebec favourite consisting of French fries, gravy and cheese.
"We've had people come here that have also been in the Toronto location and the biggest compliment we ever receive is 'we feel like home'. There's 40 thousands Canadians living in Dubai and we want to make sure that we're providing them with a place that feels like home," said general manager Rob O'Rinn.
Therefore, one thing is certain, while temperatures at the ice hockey on Friday may be icy, relations between the UAE and Canada are will be nothing of the sort and any issues can easily be fixed over a plate of hot poutine.
(Editing by Shane McGinley)
© Zawya 2016
What image springs to mind when you think about Canada? Most people will probably picture a hockey game, or maple syrup or the famous Mounties in their iconic red uniforms.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), like the rest of the world, will mark Canada's 149th birthday this Friday with the annual celebrations to mark Canada Day. While the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are unlikely to make an appearance, you can grab a coffee from one of many Tim Horton's cafes across the UAE and head down to the ice hockey game being staged by the Canadian embassy on Friday.
The match is being organised by the UAE Ice Sport Federation at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi from 6pm and will include ice skating and an ice hockey match between the UAE national team and a collection of local Canadian residents.Canada Day will be marked by the more than 45 thousand Canadians who live and work in the UAE.
"There's a lot of people in the real estate, architecture sector, retail sector, and of course a big number in oil and gas sectors too," Daniel Murphy, vice president for Canadian Business Council (CBC) in Dubai, told Zawya in a phone interview. "I think there is a lot of common interests, Canada's economy has a lot of investment knowledge experience, nuclear power, and oil and gas sector," he added.
The two countries have strong trade links, with around 150 Canadian companies based in the UAE and investments in Canada by UAE companies amounting to $10 billion, according to data from the Canadian embassy in Abu Dhabi. "We have seen the trade relationship steadily grow over the past years reaching over $2 billion in Canadian exports [to the UAE] last year - a record year for us," Canada's Consul General in Dubai, Emmanuel Kamarianakis, told Zawya.
"The UAE is a strong investor into Canada, with the recent $750 million investment by DP World into a port container facility in Prince Rupert, British Columbia providing a good example of the type of strategic investment that are taking place," he added.
However, relations have not always been so cordial. A dispute erupted in 2010 when Canada rejected a request from the UAE for more landing rights to Canadian cities for its fast-growing airlines, especially Dubai-based Emirates. The UAE then increased the cost of a visa for Canadians to enter the country.However, Jack Matar, chairman of CBC in Abu Dhabi, said tensions between the two sides has now subsided: "There are no tensions whatsoever, the visa tension in 2010 is behind us. Even during the issue, there were few billion dollars investment by UAE (businessmen into Canada)."
"We done really see any of that anymore, Emirates is now the strategic airline partner for the Canadian business council... The relationship between Canada and UAE is better than it has ever been, that was a short term to commercial issue, got a little bit out of control but managed to shape back and is in premium shape now," Murphy added.
Indeed, in December last year, Air Canada launched its non-stop service between Dubai and Toronto, giving more Canadians the opportunity to do business in the UAE, and vice versa. One business that made the leap from Canada to the UAE is Weslodge in the JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai, which will be marking the national celebrations with a special Canada Day menu. Open in Dubai since April, the lounge originates from Toronto and its special dishes on offer on Friday will include traditional Canadian dishes with a twist, such as lobster poutine, a Quebec favourite consisting of French fries, gravy and cheese.
"We've had people come here that have also been in the Toronto location and the biggest compliment we ever receive is 'we feel like home'. There's 40 thousands Canadians living in Dubai and we want to make sure that we're providing them with a place that feels like home," said general manager Rob O'Rinn.
Therefore, one thing is certain, while temperatures at the ice hockey on Friday may be icy, relations between the UAE and Canada are will be nothing of the sort and any issues can easily be fixed over a plate of hot poutine.
(Editing by Shane McGinley)
© Zawya 2016
