The talks at the MARD concerned the prospects for the development of trade between Poland and the UAE, including in the context of the risks posed by the disruption of global food supply chains caused by the armed conflict in Ukraine.

Poland’s involvement in safeguarding food security

Deputy Minister Ryszard Bartosik presented the actions taken by Poland since the outbreak of the war to enable the exports of cereals from Ukraine to third countries. The Secretary of State at the MARD also pointed out Poland’s wide export offer in the scope of agri-food products. He also stressed that Poland was ready to support UAE partners in their efforts to safeguard food security in their country.

The prospects for the development of the cooperation between Poland and the UAE

Minister Al Zeyoudi expressed his hopes for a further increase of the share of Polish food on the UAE market in light of its values in terms of quality and taste. He informed about the efforts of the Government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to develop their own agriculture. This would allow the UAE to become more independent from food supplies from abroad. He added that because of the climate and soil conditions in the UAE the most advanced technologies had to be applied in agriculture in order to achieve these ambitious objectives. Both parties agreed that they discerned large opportunities for cooperation in the area of scientific research.

The Minister of State for Foreign Trade of the UAE informed about their interest in investment cooperation with Polish entities for the purposes of the development of agriculture and agricultural processing in the UAE. He also added that the UAE were looking for opportunities to carry out investments in the agricultural sector outside the UAE borders, including in Poland (the food production to meet the needs of the local market and for exports to the UAE).

Trade in agri-food products with the UAE

In 2021, Poland exported agri-food products with a value of almost EUR 81 million to the UAE. The value of its exports grew by 10% compared with 2020. From January to June 2022, the value of Poland’s agricultural exports to the UAE amounted to EUR 56,400, i.e. it grew by 51% compared with the analogous period of 2021. The main exports included processed food (19%), bread and bakery products (12%), chocolate (9.4%), other processed food containing cocoa and unprocessed tobacco (82.%).