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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Yu-Pimentel welcomes Dubai Chambers Manila launch as product of stronger PH-UAE ties

Yu-Pimentel welcomes Dubai Chambers Manila launch as product of stronger PH-UAE ties

Published Apr 15, 2026 09:06 pm
Dubai International Chamber inaugurates its Manila office with key government and business stakeholders. In the photo are H.E. Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers; H.E. Mohamed Obaid Salem Al Qatam Alzaabi, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the Republic of the Philippines; Louise Araneta-Marcos, First Lady of the Republic of the Philippines; and H.E. Ma. Anna Kathryna Yu-Pimentel, Special Envoy of the President of the Philippines to the UAE for Trade and Investments, Dubai Chambers VP Salem Al Shamsi, and Director of Asia Pacific Marwan Al Marri.
Dubai International Chamber inaugurates its Manila office with key government and business stakeholders. In the photo are H.E. Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers; H.E. Mohamed Obaid Salem Al Qatam Alzaabi, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the Republic of the Philippines; Louise Araneta-Marcos, First Lady of the Republic of the Philippines; and H.E. Ma. Anna Kathryna Yu-Pimentel, Special Envoy of the President of the Philippines to the UAE for Trade and Investments, Dubai Chambers VP Salem Al Shamsi, and Director of Asia Pacific Marwan Al Marri.
Special Envoy to the United Arab Emirates Ma. Anna Kathryna Yu-Pimentel on Wednesday, April 15 welcomed the opening of the Manila office of Dubai International Chamber, describing it as a clear result of strengthened diplomatic and economic engagement between the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates under the administration of Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Dubai International Chamber formally opened its first representative office in Manila on April 14, becoming the fifth Dubai Chambers branch in Southeast Asia as part of Dubai’s wider global expansion strategy.
The opening was attended by First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos, H.E. Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President of Dubai Chambers, and H.E. Mohamed Obaid Salem Al Qatam Alzaabi, UAE Ambassador to the Philippines, Dubai Chambers VP Salem Al Shamsi, and Director of Asia Pacific Marwan Al Marri.
Yu-Pimentel, who was appointed as special envoy to the UAE for Trade and Investment in 2024, said the opening of the Manila office would create new pathways for Filipino businesses to access global markets while attracting fresh investments into the country.
“In my two years as special envoy, I had the honor of witnessing the key milestones in the growing relationship between our two countries. These key milestones were made possible through the sustained engagement, at the highest levels, under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the leadership of His Highness Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, complemented by the soft diplomacy and people-to-people initiatives of the First Lady Louise Araneta Marcos,” Yu-Pimentel said.
“The establishment of Dubai Chambers’ fifth branch in Southeast Asia reflects the UAE’s commitment to strengthening its position as a global business hub, while helping Filipino enterprises reach wider markets and greater opportunities,” Yu-Pimentel said.
Yu-Pimentel said the opening also demonstrated the UAE’s confidence in the Philippines despite global economic and geopolitical uncertainties.
“What makes this occasion even more meaningful is that, despite the challenges confronting the region, the UAE opens the Dubai Chambers Representative Office in the Philippines today,” she said. “This reflects the UAE’s resilience and commitment as a trusted and reliable partner of the Philippines.”
Lootah said the Manila office would create new channels for cooperation and support Filipino companies seeking to expand internationally through Dubai.
He noted that non-oil trade between Dubai and the Philippines reached 3.58 billion AED in 2025, up 17 percent from the previous year.
The growing commercial relationship was also reflected in the rising number of Filipino firms operating in Dubai. By the end of 2025, some 2,592 Philippine companies were active members of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce, with 856 new firms joining during the year.
Yu-Pimentel said the new office builds on recent diplomatic and economic gains under the administration of President Marcos Jr.
Pimentel highlighted the November 2024 visit of President Marcos to the UAE, where he met with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and H.E. Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
She also credited First Lady Marcos for helping open doors for deeper economic engagement. Pimentel recalled that during the First Lady’s visit to Dubai Chambers earlier this year, discussions were held that helped pave the way for the Manila office.
She also cited the signing earlier this year of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, the Philippines’ first free trade agreement with a Middle Eastern country.
Tourism and connectivity between the two nations have also expanded sharply, she said. Arrivals from the UAE to the Philippines rose to 70,000 in 2024 from 10,500 in 2019, while Emirates recently increased its Philippine flights from 28 to 34 weekly services.
“The opening of Dubai Chambers Representative Office will greatly benefit the Philippines,” Yu-Pimentel said, citing the UAE as the country’s 17th largest trading partner, top export market among Gulf Cooperation Council states, and leading GCC investor in the Philippines. 

Related Tags

Dubai Chambers Manila office launch Philippines UAE economic ties Ma. Anna Kathryna Yu-Pimentel UAE envoy Ferdinand Marcos Jr UAE relations Philippines UAE trade and investment
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