Air connectivity key to boost trade with AP: UAE

Vijayawada: Abdul Nasser Alshaali, the ambassador of the UAE to India, underlined the need to increase the air connectivity between the Andhra Pradesh and UAE to increase investments and trade between AP and the UAE.

Abdul Nasser Alshaali headed a delegation from the UAE in the round-table held in Vijayawada on Thursday on strengthening the relations between the AP and UAE. Prestigious companies from the UAE participated in the meeting and discussed the scope for investments in AP with minister for industries T G Bharath and 50 officials and representatives of the companies from Andhra Pradesh.

The UAE Embassy in Delhi, in collaboration with the UAE-India CEPA Council (UICC) and the Government of Andhra Pradesh, held an economic and investment roundtable here which was co-chaired by Abdul Nasser Alshaali, the Ambassador of the UAE to India.

UAE participants at the roundtable included Ahmed Aljneibi, the director of the UICC, as well as representatives from UAE companies, Abu Dhabi Ports, Air Arabia, Aramex, DP World, DUCAB, Emaar, Emirates Airlines, Emirates NBD, FlyDubai, the Lulu Group, and Tabreed. From the Andhra Pradesh side, 50 senior government officials and company representatives were present at the event.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Alshaali went on to highlight that to increase people-to-people engagement and to spur direct investment, improving air connectivity between the UAE and Andhra Pradesh was critical. It was underlined that UAE carriers could undertake up to 35 direct flights per week to Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Tirupati, which would allow for an increase in over 500,000 passengers per annum to Andhra Pradesh’s airports.

He further said direct air links between the UAE and Andhra Pradesh would not only provide increased consumer choice and economic opportunities for the people of Andhra Pradesh, but also enhance the state’s position as a vital regional and international aviation hub.

In his remarks, Aljneibi, the director of the UICC, provided participants with an overview of the UAE-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), and highlighted the ability of Andhra Pradesh’s business community to leverage not only this agreement, but also other recent bilateral initiatives to expand their investment presence in the UAE.

During the roundtable, several UAE companies outlined their investment plans in both Andhra Pradesh and India more broadly. A highly interactive discussion took place between participants from both sides, with cooperation in a range of sectors canvassed, including agriculture and food processing, aviation and aerospace, biotechnology, electronics and IT, automotives, petroleum and petrochemicals, and shipping, logistics, and ports.

He further said Andhra Pradesh ranked as the UAE’s 11th largest trading partner among India’s 28 states and eight union territories, with total trade reaching USD 1.46 billion for the 2023-2024 fiscal year. Over this same period, bilateral trade between the UAE and India stood at 83.64 billion.

The UAE is India’s second-largest export destination, third-largest trading partner, and fourth-largest investor. During his visit to Andhra Pradesh, Dr Alshaali met Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. During the discussions, he congratulated the CM on his recent victory in the Assembly elections and affirmed the UAE’s desire to expand tangible engagement with the state of Andhra Pradesh across all facets of the bilateral partnership.