UAE imports food products worth AED595 million from Western Australia

Delegation led by Minister for Agriculture and Food; Fisheries, Western Australia, Hon. Ken Baston visited the UAE to further expand the trade between the two countries. Currently, UAE imports food products worth AED595 million from Western Australia (WA) annually. Some of the major food categories imported by UAE include canola (AED278mn), sheep (AED63mn), lamb (AED60mn) and carrots (AED47m). UAE is one of the top five countries importing sheep and lamb meat from Western Australia.

“Food security is important issue for the Middle East, as they import more than 90 per cent of their total food requirements. We are here in the UAE to understand the country’s immediate requirement within the food sector and also provide them with all the necessary information and support from Western Australia.  We have had a very fruitful relationship for several years and we are here to nurture it further,” Mr. Baston said. 

Supporting established industry relationships and to further explore growth opportunities, the Minister and delegates met with Director of the Food Safety Department of Dubai Municipality, Mr. Khalid Mohammed Sharif Al Awadhias as well as prominent UAE companies in the food business. The delegation is also visiting Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Egypt during this Middle Eastern tour. 

“Middle East accounts for over 97% of WA’s live sheep exports in 2013-14. The top destinations in order of value were Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and UAE. The four markets have collectively been worth $2 billion to the Western Australian agrifood industry over the past five years. Qatar presents significant opportunities in terms of strengthening investment ties. Egypt is a potentially valuable market for Western Australia’s grains and meat,” said Mr. Pankaj Savara, Commissioner, WATO.

“The UAE and Saudi Arabia are traditionally significant markets for Western Australian grains, including barley, canola, wheat, and sheep meat. This region is a diverse and valuable trading region for Western Australia’s agrifood industries,” commented Mr. Baston.

“Western Australia is the powerhouse that drives Australia’s economy, accounting for 46% share of total Australian exports. The UAE is also one of Western Australia’s biggest trading partners for mineral and agriculture commodities. With established business relations and growing bilateral ties, the State is fast increasing its presence in the UAE and in the Middle East and Africa,” added Mr. Savara.

“The Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia supports a number of internationally-based agricultural officers in WA Trade and Investment Offices, including Dubai,” added Mr.Savara.

On the tourism front, WA is a welcoming gateway to the rest of Australia; Perth is amongst the top 10 most livable cities in the world. Currently there are four daily flights to Perth and more flights are being added due to the growing trade relations between UAE and Australia. Perth is also well connected with the GCC countries through daily multiple air connections by Gulf carriers.