A United Arab Emirates (UAE) newspaper reports that Saskatchewan’s latest trade and development office has been officially opened in Dubai as of Jan. 17.
Saskatchewan Minister of Trade and Export Development Jeremy Harrison was in Dubai on Monday to open the new office, which will be co-housed with the Canadian Consulate in the city. It will have three employees: one Canadian managing director and two local employees.
As reported in August 2021, the province is proceeding with a major expansion of its foreign-trade-promoting office network. Saskatchewan’s Chinese office has been operating since 2010. The offices in Japan, India, and Singapore, however, have only been open since January 2021.
Dubai is the first of four additional trade and investment offices, including London, England; Mexico City, Mexico; and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. A spokesperson for the Government of Saskatchewan's Ministry of Trade and Export Development said those offices will be fully operational by the end of the fiscal year. The ministry's statement also confirmed that the information in the Gulf News article is accurate – it was supplied to Gulf News by the ministry in cooperation with Global Affairs Canada and the UAE Ministry of Foreign Trade.
Gulfnews.com quotes Jean-Philippe Linteau, Consul General of Canada in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, as saying that “I am very pleased to see the opening of a Saskatchewan trade office in Dubai. This is the demonstration of the growing trade and investment relationship between the UAE and Canada. The UAE is an import partner and business hub for Canada in the MENA region.”
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region includes countries such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Iraq, and Iran. The region is vital for its oil and gas production.
The province’s international office site has not yet been updated to reflect the office’s opening, saying only that it is coming soon. The purpose of the office as stated on that page is to support:
- diversifying markets;
- facilitating connections between Saskatchewan businesses and international buyers;
- increasing foreign direct investment (FDI) in Saskatchewan;
- establishing ongoing relationships and business partnerships; and
- providing exporters an understanding of the business environment, rules and regulations in these markets.
At the office’s inauguration ceremony, Harrison touted the “incredible trade and investment opportunities in Saskatchewan,” and said that he was excited for the boost the office would provide to the economic relationship between the province and the UAE.
“Although Saskatchewan’s relationship with the UAE has mostly been in agriculture,” Harrison added, “we share many common goals and interests, particularly in the energy sector. We see huge potential for cooperation in a number of areas to help the UAE meet its goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 particularly through carbon capture, utilisation and storage; hydrogen production; the development of small modular nuclear reactors; and the supply of uranium.”
In 2020, Saskatchewan was Canada’s largest UAE export partner. Exports increased 52 per cent over 2019, with a total value of C$627.6 million. Agri-food products made up 99 per cent of SK’s exports to the UAE, including canola seed (C$348 million), lentils (C$208 million), meslin wheat (C$26 million), durum wheat (C$22million), and peas (C$15.6 million).
Canola seed from Saskatchewan makes up 57 per cent of the UAE’s total canola seed imports, and 91 per cent of its lentil imports.
According to the provincial government’s trade statistics, Saskatchewan is a world-leading exporter of agricultural products such as potash, lentils, durum wheat, canary seed, and peas. The UAE is Saskatchewan’s fifth-largest agri-food export destination.
