'The UAE is a direct result of the visionary leadership of our founder'

Q: It's the 44th Year of UAE's success and progress amongst the nations of the world, what would you like to say about UAE's progress?
Ans: The UAE was founded by HH (Late) Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, he had a dream to have a nation for its people and its inhabitants to give the best standard of living that it can offer, the best health and thus most opportunities that it can offer. UAE today has foreign investment from all over the world, we have free zones where thousands of expat businesses who have opened up their businesses. So today, the UAE is a direct result of the visionary leadership of our founder. I also want to dedicate the success of my country to Pakistani citizens who worked in UAE ever since my country's formation, throughout the years the journey was made less arduous by their efforts.
Q: The UAE is considered the top destination for expatriate workers, tourists and considered a regional hub of trade and investment, could you shed some light on that?
Ans: In the past year, UAE has been visited by more than 50 million tourists, it is home to nearly 5 million expatriates who are happily working and progressing financially and career wise. UAE provides equal opportunity to all nationalities of the world and is considered a hot favorite amongst the GCC expat countries. The UAE is also preferred as a regional hub for trade and investment; many foreign companies have invested in my country over the years and set up regional headquarters and master franchises of their brands in UAE. UAE provides a platform for the companies who are interested in doing business in Middle East and Asia they start from my country.
Q: Is the UAE an attractive place for Pakistani students? What potential you can see for further collaboration in the education sector?
Ans: The UAE welcomes Pakistani students who want to have "close to home" foreign degree to their list of qualifications, the UAE is 2 hour flight from Karachi and a lot of students prefer going there for studies since they easily go to their homes in Pakistan in holidays. A lot of foreign universities have opened up their universities in UAE and Pakistanis are taking advantage of this in a meaningful way.
Q: The UAE is 5 years away from Expo 2020? What are your expectations for this mega event?
Ans: We are in the process of multi-billion dollar mega projects in the run up to the event and hopefully by 2020 we will be in the strongest position to make expo 2020 the biggest event the UAE and for the world. The UAE is on the upward trend in almost all the sectors, the job market has enhanced and there are more opportunities for expatriates. Many of our Pakistani brothers and sisters have moved to Dubai to make this exhibition a success for all. We dedicated ourselves fully for this event to become a success story amongst other success stories in the UAE's history.
Q: What business sectors you see in Pakistan that can be the top sectors to invest in Pakistan?
Ans: Pakistan is an agrarian economy, its economy is based upon the agriculture sector and it is Pakistan's unique selling proposition in my mind. In my opinion, every country of the world is known for its best competency which transpires into its unique selling proposition. So, Pakistan with its largest irrigation system in the world and blessed with fertile land and its thousands of years experience in agriculture, has the unique selling proposition of agriculture. I would advise my fellow countrymen and foreigners to invest in agriculture and reap in good return on their investment or maybe some related sectors to it like agricultural land development sector and tractor manufacturing.
Q: Since 1971 the UAE and Pakistan have come close allies and co-operators in multiple fields? What do you think will be the future?
Ans: Our relationship with Pakistan is even before the inception of UAE, so it predates 1971, our founder HH (Late) Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan visited Pakistan multiple times before 1971 and we are enjoying our brotherly relations with Pakistan even before our independence. Over the years, we became collaborators with equal interests in many fields including education, business, economy, joint-investments and expatriate workers. Millions of Pakistanis are happily employed and all Emiratis treat them as their brothers and sisters. We have come to Pakistan to stay through good and bad times of Pakistan; we have reached out for support of our Pakistani brothers in need in the wake of calamities and whenever they need support. The UAE does not forget Pakistan's support when we needed it the most in 1971.
Q: What would you like to convey to the people of Pakistan?
Ans: This is the 15th Year of my stay in Pakistan and each and every day Pakistani's make me realise what hard work and diligence can achieve. In my experience I will not be surprised if a Pakistani achieves exemplary success in whatever he or she is achieving. Pakistan is country blessed with all kinds of natural resources which it can use to move its industry and a skilled labor force which can run its economy, the labor force especially which helped develop my country over the years. One of the top banks in the world was run by and was the brainchild of a great Pakistani, Agha Hassan Abidi, this shows the resolve of Pakistanis that there are no limits to what they can achieve.