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The United Arab Emirates is joining its sister country, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in celebrating its 94th National Day, which falls on September 23.
The fraternal relations between the UAE and the Kingdom are a unique model, given their depth and integration, and the history they include of cooperation at various levels that cover all fields.
The UAE’s participation in the Kingdom’s celebrations of this occasion confirms the uniqueness and strength of the relations between the leaders and peoples of the two brotherly countries, which have become a true depth of Gulf, Arab and regional action, and one of the most important pillars of stability, growth and prosperity in the region.
Bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries were strengthened thanks to the efforts of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and King Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, may God bless their souls, and extended to reach full partnership under the visions of the late Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, may God have mercy on them.
The leaderships of the two countries, headed by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, may God protect him, and the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, King of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, continue to strengthen these relations and ensure their elevation to the highest levels.
The fruitful relations between the two countries have had a positive impact on the reality of comprehensive and sustainable development in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, in various fields, including trade exchange, economic cooperation, joint investment, coordination and consultation.
The economic and trade relations between the UAE and the Kingdom constitute an exceptional and rich model of cooperation and solidarity, as non-oil trade exchange between the two countries witnessed great leaps during the past years, as it increased during 10 years by about 69% to reach about 135 billion dirhams in 2023, compared to its level of 79.9 billion dirhams in 2013, according to data from the Ministry of Economy.
The compound annual growth rate between 2013 and 2023 reached about 5.4%, while the value of non-oil trade exchange between the two brotherly countries over 10 years (2014-2023) exceeded the trillion dirham barrier, reaching about 1.032 trillion dirhams.
The non-oil trade exchange between the two countries during the past ten years was distributed between 252.46 billion dirhams for imports, 255.5 billion dirhams for exports, and 524 billion dirhams for re-exports.
According to data from the General Authority for Statistics in Saudi Arabia, the volume of trade exchange between the UAE and Saudi Arabia amounted to $17.53 billion during the first half of this year, with a growth rate of 22.50% compared to $14.31 billion during the first half of 2023.
UAE exports to Saudi Arabia increased by 10.26% to $6.80 billion during the first half of 2024, compared to $6.16 billion during the first half of 2023, while UAE imports from Saudi Arabia amounted to $10.73 billion during the first half of 2024, compared to $8.15 billion during the first half of 2023.
In 2016, the two countries announced the establishment of the Saudi-Emirati Coordination Council, which works to develop a shared vision to deepen and sustain joint relations and enhance the integrated economic system between the two countries.
Tourism in both countries supports the commercial and economic sectors, and is one of the most promising sectors that provide investment opportunities and attract more joint projects, to diversify the economic and commercial base in both countries.
The cultural relations between the two countries embody the level of geographical and social cohesion between their peoples. These relations were strengthened through multiple channels, most notably the education sector, which initially witnessed the enrollment of Emirati students in Saudi Arabia, in schools in Makkah Al-Mukarramah, Al-Ahsa and Riyadh, while today Emirati universities and institutes receive a large number of Saudi students.
Cultural relations between the two countries were represented at several levels, whether through the establishment of many joint agreements and programs, or at the level of cultural interaction between the university institutions that work in this regard, and the creators and intellectuals in the two countries, within a vision based on the fact that the relationship between the two brotherly countries is strengthened by the relationship of two peoples who have an extension, history, and a cultural, social, geographical, and economic heritage.
This year, Saudi National Day comes amidst the comprehensive development renaissance witnessed by the Kingdom, which has begun a new journey towards a prosperous future with the launch of “Saudi Vision 2030,” which is one of the largest national transformation programs in the world.
