On Saturday, Premier Scott Moe started heading more than 11,000 kilometres away from Regina to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for a trade mission.

It’s the second time during the spring sitting the premier has jetted off to another country.

Earlier this week, Moe said there are several reasons for the trip. The first is that the province hasn’t done much in the way of trade missions for a couple of years due to the pandemic. The second was getting in early.

“We know there’s an early mover advantage around the world for those provinces that are out showing their wares, showing early, and that’s proving to be the case in Saskatchewan,” said Moe.

The premier also talked about Dubai already being a big customer for Saskatchewan. Moe said exports to the UAE were up over 50 per cent year over year. And last year, the value of Saskatchewan’s exports to the UAE was $636 million and the province was also the UAE’s largest supplier of canola seed and lentils.

“It is an important and emerging market for us in the province, predominantly agriculture, but increasing interest, given some world events in particular in uranium, as well as some other products here,” said Moe.

Moe also talked about similarities between the UAE and Saskatchewan when it comes to things like the oil industry, he says there’s some interest in Dubai on the carbon capture and storage and thermal projects.

To that end, Moe suspects Saskatchewan could have a prominent role in COP-28 which is being held in the UAE next year.

“(It’s important to make that point) given some of the innovation that we have, not only in the oil industry but also in mining, also with the availability of zero-emission uranium for nuclear power (and) also with the opportunities we have with increased agricultural export and trade,” said Moe.

Moe contends the trade trips his government has been embarking on are necessary, complaining the current federal government doesn’t go out and push Canadian – and therefore Saskatchewan – products like the previous government had.

“And so we had made a conscious choice … that we are going to advocate on behalf of ourselves here in the province and we are going to create that provincial to nation relationship,” said Moe.
“We most certainly as a province are capable of doing this and we’re going to do so ourselves.”

While there, Moe is expected to speak at the world’s largest pulse industry event, the Global Pulse Confederation.

Moe is expected back in Saskatchewan on Wednesday.