United Arab Emirates: Intensive Worldwide Contacts

Following his visit to Russia, where he held two days of talks with President Vladimir Putin and where he attended the BRICS summit, United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan received Russian Security Council Secretary and former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in Abu Dhabi. According to the press service of the Russian Security Council, “the parties discussed issues of international security, bilateral cooperation in the political, trade, economic, and military-technical spheres, as well as the implementation by the countries of important bilateral projects on the “peaceful use of nuclear energy.” In addition, during his talks with the Emirati leaders, Shoigu discussed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the fight against terrorism in Syria, escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, and the situation in Libya.

In January 2024, the United Arab Emirates joined BRICS as a full member, thus becoming one of the most important destinations for businessmen of this international group, which also includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia (status to be determined). According to the Emirati press, Sharjah International Airport in the north of the United Arab Emirates “registered nearly 4.4 million passengers in the third quarter of 2024 alone, up 10% from the same period last year.” According to Emirates news agency Wam, the airport “also recorded a 6.7% increase in the number of flights, with a total of 27,758 flights operated by 35 airlines.” Cargo handling at Sharjah Airport reached 46,284 tons, up 32% than a year earlier.

As for other major hubs in the United Arab Emirates, Italian national airline Ita Airways launched its first route to the Emirates on Tuesday, October 29, with a direct flight between Dubai and Rome-Fiumicino. The Italian benchmark carrier will operate daily flights on this route. The new Rome-Dubai flight represents a “milestone” for the Italian airline, which is thus expanding its network to include a strategic market.

Dubai is a global hub for business, commercial and leisure tourism, so the launch of this direct service demonstrates Ita Airways’ commitment to offering optimal travel solutions while emphasizing the importance of network expansion in the company’s growth strategy.