Business mission exploring opportunities in UAE and India

22 Jan 2025
South Australian businesses are seizing the opportunities created by the recent return of direct, daily Emirates flights, while the South Australian Government is looking to help local companies capitalise on a new free trade agreement with the UAE - which is expected to come into effect in the middle of the year.
 
The return of daily Emirates flights to Adelaide in October last year unlocked a total weekly direct air freight capacity of nearly 200 tonnes between South Australia and the UAE.
 
Local premium food producers including The Yoghurt Shop have already taken full advantage of this additional capacity, which allows them to enter the Middle Eastern market quicker, cheaper and with fewer administrative burdens.
 
For products like yoghurt, with shelf-lives as short as 14-days, the direct air freight saves additional travel for the goods via Melbourne or other ports, which reduces the time spent on shelves by more than seven per cent.
 
The latest ABS trade statistics reveal the UAE has overtaken Singapore as a destination for South Australian products, with total exports to the country now worth $254 million to the South Australian economy each year.
 
Looking to capitalise on the recently signed Australia-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and to help unlock opportunities for South Australian businesses, the South Australian Government is leading a delegation, which will meet with investors and businesses in key industries, including aviation, healthcare, agribusiness and technology.
 
The delegation will attend key meetings in Dubai with Emirates, Leader Healthcare, Al Ghurair Investments, IFFCO, Lulu Hypermarket and ClimaGulf. It will then continue to India, meeting with important food and agriculture importers, as well as officials from tech, space and defence companies to pursue trade and investment opportunities for South Australia.

Learn more about South Australia's trade and investment representatives in MENA and India: https://export.sa.gov.au/global_offices/mena-and-india