Dubai
The Premier of Western Australia met with Emirates airlines this week to discuss the twice daily flight from Dubai to Perth, the senior official said on Wednesday.
Mark McGowan met Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates airline and Group, to discuss the route, in addition to tourism and other issues.
The premier told Gulf News in an interview that he sees the Gulf as an important partner, adding that he hopes to increase trade levels with the UAE.
He added that he would be promoting alumina, oil and gas services, and agricultural products.
On Thursday, McGowan said he will be meet Shaikh Nahyan Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of State for Tolerance and Cabinet Member, Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansoori, Minister of Economy and Ahmad Bin Sulayem and other senior government officials from the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre Authority (DMCCA) and DP World.
“Tourism, education, and oil and gas are all on the agenda,” McGowan said. “Also agricultural products such as carrots, oranges, and lamb,” he added.
McGowan said that he had viewed “this region as an opportunity for us for a long time now,” pointing to the opening of an office representing Western Australia in Dubai in 2002. “We’ve been broadening our contacts beyond Asia for over two decades,” he added.
One of the most prominent areas of crossover between the two regions is the oil and gas sector.
The petroleum industry in Western Australia accounts for the vast majority of the country’s oil and gas production.
“There’s a lot of similarities between Perth and Dubai,” McGowan said, adding that they were both cities built on the oil and gas trade.
“Expertise can be exchanged between us. Western Australia big producer of software for mining and oil and gas,” he said, adding that he would be looking to export some of this expertise to the region.
