UAE Strengthens Tech and Innovation Ties with Netherlands and Belgium
Brussels, The Gulf Observer: A high-level United Arab Emirates (UAE) delegation led by Omran Sharaf, Assistant Foreign Minister for Advanced Science and Technology, has successfully concluded a visit to the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Belgium, with a focus on enhancing bilateral cooperation in emerging and advanced technologies.
The visit, held as part of the UAE’s commitment to strengthening international partnerships in science, research, and innovation, began in the Netherlands and was accompanied throughout by Ameirah AlHefeiti, UAE Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
During the two-day mission, Sharaf held productive meetings with senior Dutch officials, including:
- Michiel Sweers, Vice Minister for Foreign Economic Relations,
- Ernst Noorman, Ambassador-at-Large for Cyber Affairs,
- Erwin Nijsse, Director-General of Business Policy and Innovation at the Ministry of Economic Affairs,
- Harm van de Wetering, Director of the Netherlands Space Office.
These meetings explored avenues for strategic collaboration in areas of mutual interest such as R&D, artificial intelligence, space technologies, cybersecurity, and innovation policy.
The delegation also participated in a technology and innovation roundtable session involving leading Dutch organizations. Discussions centered on cooperation in key sectors including health technology, scientific research, and academic-industry linkages.
Visits to top Dutch research and innovation institutions — including TNO (Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research), Deltares, ASML, and Eindhoven University of Technology — further advanced dialogue on applied research, water technology, semiconductor development, and collaborative innovation.
Following the engagements in the Netherlands, the UAE delegation continued its tour with a visit to imec headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. Imec is globally renowned as an independent research hub specializing in nanoelectronics and digital technologies. The delegation was introduced to cutting-edge research and infrastructure critical to future innovation ecosystems.
The delegation also included:
- Nouf Al Hameli, Science and Technology Adviser at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
- Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
- Representatives from EDGE Group, Dubai Future Foundation, MGX, G42, and the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) — the research arm of the Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC).
This diplomatic and scientific mission underscores the UAE’s growing emphasis on science diplomacy, and its strategic vision to position itself as a global hub for innovation, research, and technological advancement under its national development agenda.
