According to a top French diplomat, “Several new joint initiatives, especially in the education sector, will make the existing strong and long-standing partnership between France and the UAE more dynamic.”

Ludovic Pouille, The French Ambassador to the UAE said, “Both nations are soon expected to sign an agreement on mutual recognition of educational qualifications, which will help promote young talents from both nations.”

He also said, “The cooperation in education is very vast with unique achievements such as the decision of the Emirati authorities to reintroduce French in the curriculum of the UAE public schools, the launching of the France Alumni platform in the UAE in May 2018 and the upcoming agreement on qualifications. This cooperation is dynamic thanks to many active actors.”

He even stated that, “ The Institut Français in the UAE [the cultural department of the French Embassy, a new board of Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, a network of six French schools]and two Alliance Française [the organisation promoting French language and culture] branches in Dubai and Abu Dhabi play an active role in this regard.”

The UAE is home to 30,000 French Nationals and is the largest French community in the Middle East.

“This young and active community is working in many areas of economic life in the UAE,” Pouille said. Adding, “The UAE and France are exploring together new frontiers, even beyond our planet. The aim of the French Embassy in the UAE is to enhance France as a primary destination to study, invest, innovate and, of course, visit. That’s why I am thrilled to see that more Emiratis decide to travel to France and hope that the trend will go on”

Ludovic Pouille, French Ambassador to the UAE, “The UAE is the second largest trading partner of France in the Gulf, with the bilateral trade at €4.5 billion (Dh19.30 billion) in 2017 year, the French exports to the UAE reached €3.4 billion, while imports from the UAE to France were worth €1.09 billion. The UAE is home to more than 650 subsidiaries of French companies, in every strategic sector of the UAE economy, such as aviation, space, renewable energy, urban transport, industry, banking, insurance and hospitality.”