Speech to the Australian UAE Embassy’s 50th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations Gala Reception in Abu Dhabi on 19 November 2025
Your Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
As-salaam alaykum.
It’s a pleasure to join you this evening as the Australian Guest of Honour, where we celebrate 50 years of Australia-UAE relations.
Half a century of partnership, progress and, occasionally, Australians introducing Vegemite to our Emirati friends.
I come here not just as a Senator and Chair of the Australia-UAE Parliamentary Country Group, but as someone who has watched this relationship grow from polite diplomacy into something genuinely warm and ambitious.
As Australia’s Ambassador to the UAE, His Excellency Ridwaan Jadwat, mentioned earlier in his speech, just last month, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the President of the United Arab Emirates, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, met here in Abu Dhabi to mark this important milestone.
Together, they elevated our ties to a Strategic Partnership – a clear signal that our nations see one another as essential partners in a rapidly changing world.
And while the leaders were making history, the entry into force of CEPA, our Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, is paving the way for smoother trade, stronger investment and greater opportunities for businesses in both countries.
It also includes Australia’s first-ever chapter dedicated to First Nations trade and investment. That’s something the Australian Government is incredibly proud of because it reflects our nation’s commitment to culture, heritage and inclusion.
But the real strength of this relationship lies in its people.
Take the 28,000 Australians who now call the UAE home – living, working or studying here.
You can feel their optimism the moment you speak to them. Almost every conversation starts the same way: “I came for a year… and suddenly it’s been fifteen” – and know far more about reality TV show Dubai Bling than they’ll ever admit publicly.
And the exchange goes both ways.
Emirati students and professionals bring talent, ambition and a global mindset to Australia.
They return home with a world-class education, new skills and a deep appreciation for barbecues, beaches and ‘the best coffee in the world’.
These close connections also extend beyond our citizens and communities.
Our defence and security cooperation has long been a pillar of trust between our nations, built through years of collaboration, shared operations and a commitment to regional stability.
And during recent global repatriation efforts, the UAE’s support in helping Australians return home was an extraordinary demonstration of that friendship – a reminder that in times of need, our countries stand by one another.
Australian companies, in turn, are contributing to the UAE’s growth.
Businesses like Chemist Warehouse – now with stores in Dubai – are helping bring trusted Australian products to UAE consumers.
Many of these are Australian-made, including QV skincare from Ego Pharmaceuticals, a company that has been exporting to the UAE for more than 30 years.
It’s a great example of the kind of success our new trade agreement will help expand across the region.
Our cooperation now spans renewable energy, critical minerals, food security, education, artificial intelligence and cutting-edge research.
These partnerships simply didn’t exist half a century ago.
Australian companies have also been building remarkable projects across the UAE – from infrastructure to innovative new facilities.
Earlier today, I visited Surf Abu Dhabi, one of the world’s largest artificial wave pools, and met the team from GHD who were involved with the design of the project.
And as a proud Melburnian, I couldn’t come to the UAE without mentioning the Formula 1. Put the two together and who knows, maybe one day we’ll have a wave pool right next to the track – the world’s first “surf-and-turf Grand Prix”.
Jokes aside, Australian companies have grown alongside the UAE’s remarkable transformation into a global hub for innovation, trade and diplomacy.
And when we look ahead, our visions are remarkably aligned.
Australia’s energy transition, the UAE’s long-term investment strategy and our shared commitment to a more sustainable world all point us in the same direction: forward.
So tonight is not just a celebration of the past 50 years. It is an investment in the next 50.
A future where we move from partners to true collaborators.
Where we build not just trade, but opportunity. Not just agreements, but shared understanding. Not just milestones, but memories.
Before I close, I want to extend my sincere thanks to His Excellency Ambassador Ridwaan Jadwat, his wife Jessica, and the exceptional teams at our Embassy in Abu Dhabi and Consulate in Dubai, including the various business representatives here with us tonight.
Their professionalism, creativity and dedication are the driving force behind so many of the successes we are celebrating tonight.
From delivering CEPA to strengthening the people-to-people ties that truly define this partnership, their work reflects the very best of Australian diplomacy.
Our bilateral relationship is stronger because of them – and because of all of you.
Shukran ja-zee-lan. Enjoy your evening. And here’s to the next 50 years!
