Page 216 - Ministry of Economy - December 2017

12/26/2017 Accelerating bilateral ties - Khaleej Times
world that have three Australian schools and universities, and that's quite unique. We are also trying to create
connections between our universities and counterparts in the region about research, coursework, and shared

studies."

Vibrant community

There are over 320,000 Australian entries into Dubai through the airport. Seeber pointed out that approximately
45,000 Emiratis go to Australia for holidays between June and August. The country is also an attractive tourism

destination for Kuwaitis, Bahrainis, and Saudis, who head down to the Gold Coast.

There are 26,000 Australians living in the UAE, of which 20,000 are based in Dubai, which ranks the UAE as
the ninth largest concentration of Australian expats globally.

Seeber said, "We have quite a sizable population that is well integrated into the community. They enjoy living
here, have their own groups and are active in social gatherings. The Australian expat community here is very

independent and self-sufficient, which allows us to promote Australia and its business community within the
UAE and abroad."

Seeber has been in the UAE since February 2012, and also looks after Middle East and North Africa. "It has
been a fabulous experience. The UAE has changed quite a bit during that period, the skyline keeps developing
and the economy keeps evolving. It's always been an exciting place," he shared. "I have been visiting the UAE

since the mid-90s, and Australian products and services have always been part of the development of the
economy, including building engineering and design. Even in construction, Australian players are an integral
part of the value chain. Now it has diversified to education, restaurants and even retail, as there are a number of

Australian brands in the market."

He concluded by saying, "The next phase for us is how data is being used to develop new industries, financial
technology, and that's where we have to start focusing our energies."

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