Foreign Minister begins Gulf tour in the UAE

The Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Arancha González Laya, began a tour of the Gulf on Sunday, with a first stop in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where she seeks to promote diplomatic and economic relations, as well as Spanish culture.

His first activity on Sunday was to visit the Spanish School in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, where he announced the forthcoming opening of a Cervantes Institute in the Arab country, although he did not reveal the date.

He then met with the UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, with whom he signed a cooperation agreement in the field of security and the fight against crime.

González Laya also visited the sustainable city of Masdar, an innovative project in Abu Dhabi, which aims to be a role model for urban centres with a reduced impact on the environment and "clean" technology.

According to its creators, from the Mubadala investment fund, it is "one of the most sustainable urban communities in the world", where "real solutions" are applied in efficient water and electricity consumption, as well as in transport and waste management. 

The minister also met with the director general of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Francesco La Camera, which is based in the UAE. 

In addition to clean energy and innovation, the minister will be in contact with the reality of women in Emirati institutions and with representatives of investment funds, which Spain is interested in attracting.

After this stop in the UAE, the tour will continue in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. In all three countries, the Foreign Ministry is seeking to boost the presence of Spanish companies, especially in sectors such as the petrochemical industry, water treatment, infrastructure and tourism.

In addition to 'economic diplomacy', political dialogue will be on the table, both at the level of bilateral relations with each of the three Arab countries, as well as at the regional level.