Membership of International groupings/ organisations
- Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC),
- Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC)
- United Nations (UN)
- International monetary fund (IMF)
The UAE Relations with neighbours
The UAE joined the United Nations and the Arab League and has established diplomatic relations with more than 60 countries, including the United States, Japan, Russia, the People's Republic of China, and most Western European countries. It has played a moderate role in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries, the United Nations, and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
Substantial development assistance has increased the UAE's stature among recipient states. Most of this foreign aid (in excess of $15 billion) has been to Arab and Muslim countries.
Following Iraq's 1990 invasion and attempted annexation of Kuwait, the UAE has sought to rely on the GCC, the United States, and other Western allies for its security. The UAE believes that the Arab League needs to be restructured to become a viable institution and would like to increase strength and interoperability of the GCC defense forces.
The UAE is a member of the following international organizations: UN and several of its specialized agencies (ICAO, ILO, UPU, WHO, WIPO); World Bank, IMF, Arab League, Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), OPEC, Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries, and the Non-Aligned Movement.
Trade and Investment with UK
Bilateral relations are strong. The UAE is largest export market in the Middle East for non-military goods to UK. As many as 100,000 British nationals live in the UAE and UK's Defence Cooperation Agreement represents UK's largest defence commitment outside NATO. UK exports to the UAE for 2003 totaled £2,080 million (up from £1,608 million in 2001).
The British Council maintains offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah. The UAE economy is booming, and its programme of investment and privatisation offers first rate opportunities for UK businesses. Trade between the two countries is rising at a fast speed and UK businesses are increasingly participating in the UAE's property and construction sectors.
