§ Huw Irranca-DaviesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the(a) social, (b) economic and (c) cultural links between the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. [168569]
§ Mr. RammellThe ties between the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are deep and long-standing. We are building on them. HRH the Duke of York, the Lord Mayor of London, the House of Commons UAE All Party Parliamentary Group and my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary have all visited UAE in recent months. The UAE is the UK's most important trading partner in the region with commerce 1149W between the two countries totalling over £3 billion. British companies contribute significantly to the UAE's rapidly modernising economy. About 50,000 British citizens live and work in the UAE and over 500,000 visited in 2003. Many Emiratis visit the UK regularly and have houses here. There are growing cultural links, reflected in the presence of British Council offices in four of the Emirates. Our links in these fields are thriving.