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UAE imports $161m food products from Western Australia

DUBAI, November 5, 2015

UAE imports food products worth Dh595 million ($161.9 million) from Western Australia annually, according to experts.
 
A delegation led by Ken Baston, Minister for Agriculture and Food; Fisheries, Western Australia, visited the UAE to further expand the trade between the two countries. 
 
Some of the major food categories imported by UAE include canola (Dh278 million), sheep (Dh63 million), lamb (Dh60 million) and carrots (D47 million). 
 
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,” 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 Khalid Mohammed Sharif Al Awadhias as well as prominent UAE companies in the food business. 
 
The delegation is also visiting Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Egypt during this Middle Eastern tour.
 
Pankaj Savara, commissioner, WATO, said: “Middle East accounts for over 97 per cent 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.”
 
“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,” said Baston.
 
“Western Australia is the powerhouse that drives Australia’s economy, accounting for 46 per cent 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,” Savara said.
 
“The Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia supports a number of internationally-based agricultural officers in WA Trade and Investment Offices, including Dubai,” he added. - TradeArabia News Service



Tags: UAE | Food | import | Western Australia |

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