Dr Geoff Gallop

Perth is one of the most isolated cities in the world, and the arrival of the first new airline in five years last week was clearly a moment to savor for regional premier Dr Geoff Gallop. The Emirates flight also offers connections that considerably speed up travel from Perth to Europe.

'This is a very historic day for us and for the development of the relationship between our state and the emirates and the Middle East. We see this as the beginning of a long relationship,' he said.

'We are delighted to be Emirates third destination in Australia. This is very good news for our economy, especially tourism but also trade and investment, plus cultural exchanges. Direct flights are very important for a remote destination like Perth and we expect to receive an extra 1,000 visitors-a-week as a result of this service'.

The former politics lecturer also noted that the flight was already sparking new business relationships, particularly for high value goods such as jewelry and perishable agricultural products. In total $1 million has been allocated to promote this route in the UK, Germany, Dubai and other parts of Europe. And the premier promised to open a new trade and investment office in Dubai this October.

Dr Gallop told AMEInfo that the state's target was to double trade with the Middle East, principally through Dubai, which presently stands at around $15 million a year. This will mean a boost to fresh food and beverage exports, alumina sales, manufactured exports and services.

And this should substantially increase tourist numbers from the region. Officials said currently no more than one or two visitors a month came from the Middle East.

'Perth is closer to Dubai than the Eastern Australian states,' said Dr Gallop. 'We also hope to attract Middle Eastern students to Western Australia. The Gulf States have a youthful population and we can play a role in education. We have a friendly and safe environment for students'.

'There are also direct employment opportunities for Perth citizens now working for Emirates, and I am delighted to have met many members of the crew emerging from this flight who come from Perth,' added the Oxford-educated premier, a life-long friend of UK prime minister Tony Blair since his own student days.

In many ways the triumph of New Labour in the UK is mirrored in Dr Gallop's success in winning power in Western Australia for the Labor Party in February 2001. So far he has avoided tampering with anything that might upset business interests, and most business leaders interviewed by AMEInfo expected this business-friendly approach to continue.

But there can be no doubt that the political leadership of Western Australia is backing the new links with the UAE to the hilt, and the new Emirates flight marks a new beginning for relations with the region.