Erbil, Kurdistan (KRG.org) – Last week the Municipality of Dubai proposed a twinning project with the capital of the Kurdistan Region, Erbil, to foster cooperation on a number of issues, especially regarding the real estate market, e-governance and reducing bureaucracy in government institutions.

The proposal came at a Kurdistan – United Arab Emirates trade forum held in Erbil on 25 May and organized by the Kurdistan Region Board of Investment. The forum focused on real estate development in Erbil and housing in Kurdistan in general. The forum was attended by a number of senior officials from the Kurdistan Regional Government as well as businessmen and investors from both Kurdistan and the United Arab Emirates.

During the forum UAE Consul General Rashid al-Mansouri said, "The UAE has always been welcome here in Kurdistan and we are working hard to promote the economy and infrastructure of the Region." He added that the UAE hopes to consolidate and strengthen its economic relations with Kurdistan and that this type of forum will certainly not be the last. The Consul General envisions many further projects and forums between the two sides.

For his part the Governor of Erbil, Nawzad Hadi, said that Kurdistan and the UAE share a special relationship and that the UAE helps connect Kurdistan to the outside world. He described the forum as a good opportunity to look at the experiences and success of the UAE, and particularly Dubai. In a statement to the KRG website, Governor Hadi said, “Dubai Municipality has invited the governorate of Erbil to gain from its experience, particularly in e-governance and reduction of bureaucracy and routine government work, as well as real estate licensing and investment practices. All of Kurdistan can benefit from this.”

The UAE Consul General conveyed his country’s wish to share human capacity development strategies as well as expertise in a number of sectors with Iraq as a whole and with Kurdistan in particular. He explained that the presence of so many Emirati experts and businessmen at the event was designed to open direct links with Kurdistan, especially because Kurdistan views Dubai as a success story in terms of infrastructure development.

In a statement to the KRG website, Al-Mansouri said, “The UAE has successful experience in the real estate sector for over three decades and our government is working towards building even closer relations with Kurdistan, particularly in economic trade and exchange of expertise.”

He added that there has been over $US 8 billion in trade exchange between the UAE and Kurdistan and there are 118 registered UAE companies operating in the Kurdistan Region. In addition the UAE has earmarked up to $US 7 billion for investment in Kurdistan’s infrastructure. Al-Mansouri pointed out that on 10 June there will be a large UAE forum in Kurdistan aimed at partnering Emirati and Kurdish companies as well as providing job opportunities for the local community through UAE firms operating in Kurdistan.