To make itself more effective the Business Council has organised itself into a series of working groups.
The Financial & Professional Services Working Group seeks to look at issues both for people working in its own sector
The Energy Working Group was the first one established by the UAE-UK Business Council back in 2011.
The Healthcare and Life Sciences Working Group seeks to help UK companies setting up in the UAE
Developing and promoting excellence in the infrastructure industry.
looking to the future of the infrastructure sector.
The Education & Training Working Group focuses on preparing the education sector for the future.
The Security & Aerospace Working Group is a new addition to the UAE
Useful articles for those thinking of doing business in the UAE
The UAE has made huge progress diversifying its economy
The UK has the 5th largest national economy in the world
The UAE-UK Business Council has committed to help increase bilateral trade and investment to £25bn by 2020.
The cooperation agreements between the UAE and UK reflect the depth and strength of the bilateral relationship
Ensuring the implementation of the Business Council’s action plan
Working with others
UAE UK trade & Investment relations
The UAE is the UK’s 18th largest trading partner, 14th largest export market and 20th largest import market. Bilateral trade in 2017 was £17.5bn, up 12.3% from 2016. The UAE-UK Business Council has committed to help increase bilateral trade and investment to £25bn by 2020.
In 2017, UK exports to United Arab Emirates amounted to £11.1bn (an 8.0% increase from 2016) while UK imports from United Arab Emirates were £6.4bn (a 20.8% increase from 2016).
Of all UK exports to United Arab Emirates in 2017, £7.6bn (68.8%) were goods and £3.5bn (31.2%) were services. Of all UK imports from United Arab Emirates in 2017, £4.3bn (66.8%) were goods and £2.1bn (33.2%) were services.
There are over 5,000 British companies operating in the UAE, including BP, Shell, Rolls Royce, BAE Systems, Mott McDonald, SERCO, Standard Chartered, HSBC and John Lewis / Waitrose. 779 commercial agencies and 4,762 British brands have invested in the UAE.
The majority of the UAE population is made up of expatriates, with over 100,000 UK residents. In 2016 14.9 million people visited the UAE, of which 1.25 million were from the UK. 50,000 Emiratis visited the UK.