UAE and Andhra Pradesh host roundtable to discuss economic and investment prospects

Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh) [India], August 2' The UAE Embassy in India, in partnership with the UAE-India CEPA Council (UICC) and the Andhra Pradesh government, organized an economic and investment roundtable in Vijayawada on Thursday. The meeting aimed to explore enhanced economic cooperation between the UAE and Andhra Pradesh.

The roundtable was co-chaired by UAE Ambassador to India, Abdulnasser Alshaali, and TG Bharath, Andhra Pradesh's Minister for Industries, Commerce, and Food Processing. UAE participants included Ahmed Aljneibi, Director of the UICC, and representatives from several UAE companies such as Abu Dhabi Ports, Air Arabia, Aramex, DP World, DUCAB, Emaar, Emirates Airlines, Emirates NBD, FlyDubai, the Lulu Group, and Tabreed. From Andhra Pradesh, 50 senior government officials and business representatives attended.

Ambassador Alshaali emphasized the importance of Andhra Pradesh in the UAE-India strategic partnership and the need to enhance economic and investment ties. He noted that the participation of over ten major UAE companies underscores the UAE's commitment to supporting Andhra Pradesh’s investment and developmental initiatives. Improving air connectivity between the UAE and Andhra Pradesh was highlighted as crucial for boosting people-to-people interactions and attracting direct investment.

The Ambassador suggested that UAE carriers could operate up to 35 direct flights per week to Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, and Tirupati, potentially increasing annual passenger traffic by over 500,000. Enhanced direct air links would offer more consumer choice, create economic opportunities, and strengthen Andhra Pradesh's role as a regional and international aviation hub.

In a discussion with ANI, Alshaali expressed the UAE's interest in investing in Andhra Pradesh, focusing on connectivity and aviation. He also noted a 15 percent rise in trade between the UAE and Andhra Pradesh and highlighted that people from Andhra Pradesh represent a significant portion of the Indian population in the UAE.

Alshaali described the meeting with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu as productive and reiterated the UAE's desire to deepen engagement with the state. He pointed out that Andhra Pradesh is ranked 11th in trade with the UAE, suggesting that the state's potential is not fully realized yet. Opportunities in various sectors, including film, connectivity, and tourism, were also discussed.

During the event, Aljneibi provided an overview of the UAE-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and discussed how Andhra Pradesh’s business community could leverage this agreement and other recent bilateral initiatives to expand their presence in the UAE. 

Participants also engaged in discussions on cooperation in sectors such as agriculture, food processing, aviation, biotechnology, electronics, IT, automotive, petroleum, petrochemicals, and logistics. 

The UAE’s trade with Andhra Pradesh for the fiscal year 2023-2024 reached USD 1.46 billion, making it the UAE's 11th largest trading partner among Indian states and union territories. Over the same period, bilateral trade between the UAE and India totaled 83.64 billion USD. The UAE is India's second-largest export destination, third-largest trading partner, and fourth-largest investor.