Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, is coming to Abu Dhabi next Tuesday, it was revealed yesterday.
Putin will travel to the capital of the United Arab Emirates after spending two days in Saudi Arabia as part of an official visit.
Putin will spend a day in Abu Dhabi and talk with its Crown Prince, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, who is also the UAE Armed Forces’ Deputy Supreme Commander.
The pair are to talk about methods by which they can continue to strengthen the two nations’ bilateral cooperation in multiple sectors in addition to developments of mutual interest both regionally and internationally.
Putin’s trip comes almost precisely 12 years since his previous state visit to the UAE.
That visit marked the first time that a Russian leader had come to the country since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations back in 1971.
Since 2007, traffic between the countries has increased, particularly in recent times.
As many as eight ministers, led by Minister of the Interior and Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, participated in this year’s Aqdar World Summit in Moscow in August.
Last year, trade between the UAE and Russia reached Dh12.5bn.
There are now 3,000 Russian businesses registered within the UAE, and there are a further 40,000 Russians now living there.
Last year, the Russian president and Sheikh Mohammed signed a declaration of a cultural, economic, and political and security partnership when the latter visited Moscow.
Sheikh Mohammed emphasised that the relationship was important to both countries and that they were keen to develop it further.
Sheikh Mohammed added that he was hoping that the growth in trade between the two nations would also hit new heights.
The warm relationship between the two nations has also offered ordinary Emiratis and Russians the chance to become more familiar with one another.
Passport holders within the UAE are now able to get a visa upon arriving in Russia.
Meanwhile, Russians who travel to the UAE will receive an automatic free visa for 30 days upon arrival.
The result is good news for the retail and hospitality industries in the UAE.
There are now around a million Russian tourists travelling to the UAE every year.
Anyone who travels to Russia from the UAE, or to the UAE from Russia, will need to take out travel insurance before they do so.
While the two nations have made travel between the two countries much easier for ordinary citizens of both nations, there are some problems associated with all kinds of foreign travel.
Those problems can range from something as inconvenient but still financially problematic as a cancelled flight to much more serious issues.
More serious problems that can arise during a trip to another country include the theft of personal items, accidents, and the possibility of an unexpected medical emergency while away from home.
Taking out a comprehensive travel insurance policy is a great way to cover yourself financially in the event of any of these issues arising.
