An Irish embassy is to open in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates, later this year, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin announced today.
The new embassy will help foster stronger trade, investment and tourism links with the UAE and the wider Gulf region according to Mr Martin.
"The embassy will also strengthen Ireland's presence across the Gulf region. At present, we have one embassy in the region, in Saudi Arabia, which covers six States," he said.
"There is a strong Irish community in the United Arab Emirates and there are already strong business links between our two countries. The UAE is a significant trading partner for Ireland, accounting for over €500m in merchandise and service exports in 2007."
Mr Martin said the cost of opneing the embassy "would be met from within the department's existing resources."
"This will require savings in other areas but this is an important initiative and the necessary resources will be found. I believe that opening a resident mission in Abu Dhabi is an investment in Ireland's future. It is a relatively small investment but one which I believe can deliver significant returns," he said.