A message from Edward Hobart, HM Ambassador to the UAE

With bilateral trade and investment now exceeding £25bn, and with nearly 15,000 British exporters doing business with the UAE, the country is becoming an increasingly important market for UK companies. Economic diversification, investment in skills and technology, and the growth of new industries such as clean energy, AI, agritech and fintech, are some of the drivers creating new opportunities in the UAE for innovative British companies, both large and small.

The policy environment is also encouraging this growth in trade – the UK-GCC Free Trade Agreement will, when implemented, add as much as £1.6bn to the UK economy and boost the UK’s trade with the region by 16%.

The exchange of knowledge and ideas is an important component of the commercial relationship, and the UAE-UK Business Council is unique in that it leads on thought leadership dialogues between our respective business communities, in areas as diverse as sustainable aviation, cancer care, the built environment and women and entrepreneurship. It has produced impactful campaigns, events and policy papers, and these have informed our own efforts at the Government to Government level to encourage more trade and improve the ease of doing business between our two nations.

I am excited about what the UK and the UAE can achieve together over the years ahead and am grateful to the UAE-UK Business Council for the role it plays in strengthening the close bond that exists between our two nations.

Edward Hobart

Edward Hobart took up his appointment as His Majesty’s Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates in May 2023. He has previously served as Consul General in Dubai, from 2012 to 2015, a role which included leading Trade and Investment work in the UAE, [at the time] the UK’s fourth largest export market outside Europe. He spent a year previous as Deputy Ambassador in Abu Dhabi.

Ed’s previous role was as Director Estates, Security and Network in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office from 2017 to 2023. Ed was responsible for managing and developing the FCDO’s portfolio of 6000 buildings around the world as well as the security of our staff, assets and information.

He served as the FCO’s Migration Envoy, representing the UK Government internationally and working across the UK government to develop and delivery policy on migration between 2015 and 2017. He headed the FCO’s Libya Unit in 2011. In previous roles he has been responsible for the FCO’s IT and Information Management, led major IT driven change programmes, and developed the FCO’s first digital and on-line presence.

Ed joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1993. In addition to the UAE, he has also served in Cuba and Malaysia.

Retired from playing, he now enjoys coaching rugby. Along with his wife, he is a founder of the West London Free School, one of the first new ‘Free Schools’ in the UK

Follow Edward Hobart on Twitter

A message from HE Ambassador Mansoor Abulhoul

The UK and UAE have long shared a friendship and commitment to partnership. Our economic cooperation, which is furthered by the efforts of the UK-UAE Business Council, continues to go from strength to strength – fostered by shared values, history and development.

In 2024 our nations exceeded the target we set several years ago of £25 billion in bilateral trade. The UAE is one of the UK’s most important trading partners in the region and fastest growing markets for UK exports. Our economic opportunities are expanding, with new partnerships and growth in the fields of energy, health, education, space, tourism and technology, to name a few.

With more than 5,000 British businesses operating in the UAE and recent changes to foreign ownership laws, our ties will only continue to grow in the coming years – making the work of the UAE-UK Business Council more crucial than ever before. I look forward to our continued collaboration to deliver greater trade, investment and innovation.

Ambassador Mansoor Abulhoul

Ambassador Mansoor Abulhoul is the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE’s) Ambassador to the UK, having been appointed to the post in June 2019. During his tenure, the UAE signed the Abraham Accords with Israel, began operations of their first Nuclear Energy Plant (Barakah), launched the Hope Probe to Mars and provided Covid-19 humanitarian assistance to over a third of the world’s countries. Ambassador Abulhoul aims to enhance bilateral relations with the UK, particularly following its exit from the European Union.

While serving as Ambassador, he developed a personal ‘cycle diplomacy’ programme. The Ambassador is cycling from John o’ Groats to Land’s End, using his passion for cycling to foster cultural understanding on a cross-country tour of the UK. The cycle tour will also raise funds for Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Ambassador Abulhoul brings experience in business and international relations to his post, as well as a history of engagement across the UAE and UK. He attended schools in the UAE and Scotland, later studying at Leeds University. After graduating, he spent three years working in finance in both Dubai and London before managing his family’s UAE-based business.

The Ambassador and his wife met through their mutual interest in horseracing, and the couple have a young son and daughter. With both British and Emirati parents, Ambassador Abulhoul is part of a family with deep connections in both the UK and UAE.

Follow HE Ambassador Mansoor Abulhoul on the UAE Government’s official Twitter account @UAEEmbassyUK and on his personal account @MansoorAbulhoul.