UK/UAE Joint Committee

This file relates to the activities and meetings of the UK-UAE Joint Committee. It contains correspondence and records of meetings and conversations, concerning:

• UK-UAE cooperation in the field of information, particularly possible training from the BBC for UAE television and radio staff
• The arrangements for the Joint Committee meeting in Abu Dhabi in January 1980, with the UK delegation led by Minister of State Douglas Hurd. It includes Hurd’s itinerary, guest lists for receptions, and arrangements for their transport and accommodation
• Discussions on commercial projects being collaborated on including Arab Satellite Communications Organisation (ARABSAT) and the Rawais [Ruwais] refinery
• The possibility of the production of a joint communiqué at the conclusion of the summit
• The possible impact of events in foreign affairs, particularly in Iran and Afghanistan, on the UAE ministers’ thinking
• Cooperation in the fields of education, agriculture, and archaeology
• The background to the Abu Dhabi Fund for Arab Economic Development
• Plans for the next Joint Committee meeting in London, dependent on the availability of both Hurd and the UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Rashid Abdulla and the eventual decision to hold it in February 1981