Sask. premier to travel to UAE for trade mission

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe spoke to reporters on Thursday, September 17, 2020 in Moose Jaw.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe will travel to the United Arab Emirates for a trade mission next week.

The provincial government said the trip will “advance investment attraction” and “highlight Saskatchewan’s ability to help its international partners reach their food and energy security goals,” according to a news release.

The main focus of the trade mission will be “Saskatchewan's world class natural resource, agriculture and agri-value sectors,” as well as “Saskatchewan’s stable and reliable supply chains.”

"As a major trading hub to the Middle East and North Africa for Saskatchewan exports, the UAE is a critically important trading partner for our province and we look forward to making this relationship stronger than ever," the premier said in the release.

"As a producer of some of the most sustainable agriculture, energy and mining products anywhere in the world, Saskatchewan has a lot to offer."

The premier is set to speak at the world’s largest pulse industry event, the Global Pulse Confederation, where he’ll be accompanied by representatives from Protein Industries Canada, the Global Institute for Food Security as well as major importers of Saskatchewan agri-food products and research institutions.

The release noted that Saskatchewan is a “global leader in agriculture biosciences and agri-food research and has the largest pulse sector in the world.”

The trip marks the premier’s first visit to the UAE, and follows the establishment of the Saskatchewan United Arab Emirates trade office, which opened in January.

The trade mission is set to run from May 7-11 and will include meetings with government and industry representatives in the cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi.