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ABU DHABI / WAM
Denmark-UAE bilateral relations are growing stronger with rising trade transactions and cooperation in climate action, Anders Bjørn Hansen, the Danish Ambassador to the UAE, told the Emirates News Agency (WAM). “We have strong commercial ties, which have developed very well over the last couple of years,” he said in an interview in the capital.
According to the UAE Ministry of Economy, the UAE-Denmark bilateral trade to the tune of $620 million (AED 2.27 billion) during the first nine months of 2023 exceeded the $484 million (AED 1.78 billion) worth of trade during the same period in 2022, marking a 28.1 percent increase. The ambassador said close collaboration between both countries at COP28, the UN Climate Conference held in December in Dubai, has further strengthened the bilateral cooperation in climate action. Denmark’s presence at COP28 included a remarkable pavilion and the largest-ever business delegation, representing over 30 companies, he noted.
The Danish Prime Minister, several other ministers, and His Majesty King Frederik X of Denmark, then Crown Prince, also actively attended COP28. “I think is a very strong indication of how the relationship is growing.” In 2019, the Danish Embassy in Abu Dhabi became the first in the Middle East, among 15 embassies worldwide, selected for Denmark’s Carbon Diplomacy initiative, Hansen said.
Now expanded to 29 “climate front post embassies,” including Rabat and Cairo in the Middle East, these embassies work towards international cooperation and partnerships to achieve Denmark’s ambitious target of a 70 percent reduction in carbon emissions by 2030. The embassy in Abu Dhabi is implementing various systematic initiatives to operate in a more sustainable way and reduce its carbon footprint, he explained. “My official car is electric and office car is hybrid.” The envoy and his staff are following all possible measures to save water and electricity.
3,000-strong Danish community
The number of Danish citizens living in the UAE has grown to 3,000, up from 2500 in early 2020, the ambassador revealed. Most of them live in Dubai, working primarily in the private sector, though some are in the public sector, he said. Direct flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi to Denmark have facilitated increased people-to-people links, cultural exchanges and tourism, Hansen noted. Exploring opportunities in sports, Hansen pointed out the active sports arena in the UAE, particularly during the winter season, which offers favourable conditions for various sports activities. Hansen has been the Ambassador of Denmark to the UAE and Qatar as well as the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) since 1st September 2022.
Apart from occupying various positions at the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he had served in Danish Embassies in Iran and Israel. Ambassador Hansen had also served as a Special Advisor, Foreign Affairs (2006-2009) at the Danish Prime Minister’s Office. HM Queen Margrethe II awarded him the Knight of the Order of Dannebrog.