Message by H.E. Abdulhamid A K Al Mulla

Health is one of the major focuses on Government’s expenditure. The UAE has a highly developed health service, including a sophisticated physical infrastructure of wellequipped Hospitals, specialized Clinics and Primary Care Centers. Health Care is free to all nationals and laws have been instituted to ensure mandatory health insurance for nonnationals. With the birth of UAE, the health sector has achieved great improvement and development that is on par with the highest international standard. There have been successful initiatives taken to further enhance the quality of healthcare throughout the country.

Women have a prestigious status in the UAE society. Women’s participation in education is one of the highest in the world. The Government aims to improve their lives and support them to become an effective and productive group in society. The UAE constitution affirms the concepts of equality between men and women such as their equal rights in work, social security, ownership, business management and wages, and UAE women could be found in all three executive, legislative and judicial authoritie

Women form two thirds of government sector workers in the UAE and Emirati women can now be found in high profile positions in all sectors of society, including the judiciary, diplomatic corps, police force, military forces, business and finance. As far as the political arena is concerned, four UAE Cabinet Ministers are women and in 2011 one woman was elected and six appointed to the UAE’s parliamentary body, the Federal National Council. The UAE’s achievements in the empowerment of women are such, that it ranks thirty-eighth among 1987 country’s in the UNDP’s Gender-related Development Index for 2011.

The foreign workforce in the UAE is one of the highest in the world, as more than 200 nationalities (including Sri Lanka) work in the country. Up to 2007 ten MoU’s were signed with several labour sources in Asian Nations and the Ministry of Labour in UAE provides legal advisors to review labour disputes in order to settle them, and if a settlement could not be reached, the issue is to be referred to legal authorities in the UAE for arbitration. Special Courts were established to look into labour cases, in addition to specialized panels for reconciliation between disputing parties and cases brought before these Courts are exempted from legal fees.

In the process of its economy and social development, the United Arab Emirates has benefited substantially from the contributions made by expatriate workers, among whom many thousands of people from Sri Lanka have played a significant part. Sri Lankan citizens can now be found in all sectors of the UAE economy, helping to build the emirates, with the other foreign forces and, at the same time, earning incomes that are an important stimulator of growth at home in Sri Lanka. We welcome this contribution and look forward to it continuing in the years ahead.

I am happy to record the ever increasing cordial and trade relationship between Sri Lanka and UAE, which have developed over the year, especially UAE being a strong supporter of Sri Lankan Teas and it also serves as a hub for the distribution of Teas to the nearby countries in the region. In addition to Tea, UAE also imports from Sri Lanka a number of goods including foodstuff and garments, while in return we export petroleum products, aluminum, fertilizers and other products to Sri Lanka. The quantum on imports and exports, from both countries, 1st January to 30th September 2012 shows an approximate amount of US$ 1,460 million.

The UAE has continued to play its role as an important member of the international community, delivering much needed humanitarian and development aid to those in need around the world, despite the global financial crisis that forced major donor countries to cut down their aid. UAE has continued to demonstrate its commitment to the alleviation of hardship in other underdeveloped and developing countries and to the provision of emergency relief assistance for those affected by conflict and natural disasters.

Among many Charitable Foundations the UAE Red Crescent, Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan Charitable Foundation, Human Appeal International, Sharjah Awqaf, Dar-alber Society, Al-Maktoum Foundation, Sharjah Charity Associationy and The Zayed Bin Sultan Al-Nahyan Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation are some promi- nent organizations where Sri Lanka too benefited and continues to benefit.

I would like to refer that UAE is dealing with all nationalities equally, without discrimination, regardless of religion, race, creed or colour, with the highest regard to safeguarding the fundamental rights, especially the human rights of each and every one. Also I wish to mention UAE’s efforts taken to contribute to the welfare of our country and the rest of the world which we consider as one of our prime responsibilities.

The bilateral relationship between the two countries has been significantly enhanced. The visitors to UAE from Sri Lanka are increasing day by day, not only on business but on tourism too. Also there is a progressive increase in the arrival of UAE nationals to Sri Lanka, and I am pleased to mention that Sri Lanka has been nominated as one of the prime tourist destinations, by the Middle Eastern Travel Market.

A number of joint venture trade projects have been implemented and are being implemented between both countries, helping to link the two countries together even more closely. Also I wish to mention that several mutual legal agreements have been signed during the past years and there are more agreements which are under negotiation, to be finalized thus resulting in further strengthening the existing strong and friendly relationship between our two countries. The exchange of Ministerial visits between the two countries has continued to consolidate the already strong economic ties.

In the year ahead, the Government of the United Arab Emirates, under the leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa, will continue to work to develop its economy, and, at the same time, to expand its ties with other countries in the Indian Ocean region, amongst whom Sri Lanka plays an important role.

Finally may I take this opportunity, on this happy occasion, to wish H.E. Mahinda Rajapakse – President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and to the people of Sri Lanka all prosperity. ABDULHAMID A K AL MULLA AMBASSADOR