Dubai: Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri, UAE Minister of Economy, met with Canadian Ambassador Sara Hradecky this week to discuss ways to expand trade relations between the two nations.

The minister and ambassador discussed cooperation in the economic and cultural arenas and specific industries including aviation. Air traffic between Canada and the UAE, for example, is of particular interest to both nations, with UAE carriers Emirates and Etihad looking to increase the frequency of flights to destinations in the world's second-largest nation to boost commerce and cultural exchange. The UAE is also keen to increase cultural exchanges with Canada through its multiple institutions, he said.

The UAE is among Canada's top trading partners, and constitutes the largest regional market for Canadian goods, accounting for 25 per cent of GCC market share. The UAE's trade with Canada surpassed $1.5 billion (Dh5.5 billion) in 2008.