The Thai agricultural and food industries are ripe for expansion into the United Arab Emirates market, says Thai Ambassador to UAE Warawut Phuapinya.
During a recent radio programme, Mr Warawut talked about trade and investment opportunities for Thai investors in the UAE.
He said the UAE is largely an arid land with vast sand deserts, making it hard to grow enough crops for domestic consumption.
A freshwater shortage is the biggest problem for farming in UAE. He said they had to desalinate sea water for plants which can damage crop yields.
The UAE government has partnered with other countries to help them grow crops. However, the produce are not enough for local consumption and the cost of farming remains high due to the process of desalination.
"So we see that food and agricultural produce might be suitable for Thai companies to expand their business to UAE.
''We have abundant water resources and we can grow food in every season. We can rely on food exports and this is our country's advantage," he said.
Mr Warawut said the new UAE president had announced a policy to support food and agricultural investment in eastern countries, while a member of the country's royal family had also indicated there was scope for agricultural and clean energy investment in Thailand.
Both cited the strong bilateral ties between the two nations as reasons for making the kingdom the first country in the region to be invited to participate.
"Doing business in UAE is very smooth because they have clear regulations driving their own economy," he said.
"Furthermore, they are a very large market with high purchasing power and rarely have any conditions that bar trade. All Thailand needs to do is adjust itself to the market," he said.