It is Saturday afternoon, and I am at a café in the heart of Helsinki, looking out onto the street. A tram passes by, carrying an Emirates’ advertisement promoting the upcoming daily direct flight between the UAE and Finland, scheduled to commence on 1 October 2026. I found myself thinking about how what once seemed like a distant aspiration has now become a reality. In that moment, a stream of memories came back to me - vivid, unexpected, and deeply meaningful.

I still remember that morning almost four years ago, when I had just begun my new role as the UAE’s then non-resident ambassador to Finland. I hosted a business roundtable with leading Finnish companies at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as an initial step towards supporting Finnish companies in navigating and benefiting from the UAE’s dynamic and rapidly evolving ecosystem. During that meeting, one issue was raised as a key challenge - and it continued to feature in many of our official engagements since: the importance of establishing a direct air connection between our two countries.

I fully recognized the significant and positive impact such a connection could have - not only on bilateral trade and investment, but, equally importantly, on people to people ties. At the same time, I understood that decisions of this nature ultimately depend on commercial viability and a sustainable business case. Nevertheless, I remained confident in the trajectory of UAE–Finland relations and in the considerable potential for our partnership to grow. I hoped that, one day, our expanding ties would create a sufficiently strong case for a direct connection - one that would make sense not only diplomatically and economically, but commercially as well.

Fast forward, and this week, Emirates launched its inaugural daily non-stop flight to Helsinki. This decision is not a mere coincidence; rather, it is the fruit of four years of collective effort, hard work, and mutual interest to invest in and advance this bilateral relationship at all political, economic, and cultural levels. Today, the UAE is considered Finland’s largest trade and export partner in the Gulf region, for five consecutive years now, with a total non-oil bilateral trade standing at USD 580 million in 2025, up by almost 54% from USD 376 million in 2024. This new connection will bring Finland even closer to the wider world. The UAE remains a global hub connecting three continents, and this daily service will open new opportunities for people, businesses and ideas to move, elevating our relationship to new heights.

Regarding people-to-people ties, in 2025, almost 28,000 Finns visited the UAE while 854 Emiratis visited Finland. Now, Emirates has made it easier for Finns to travel to the UAE, and also allow Emiratis to fully discover what Finland has to offer. A year-round connection will give visitors from the UAE the opportunity to experience the beauty of every season of Finland - from the midnight sun of summer to the vibrant colors of autumn. In this way, Finland can be appreciated not only as a destination for wintertime, but also as a country with something to experience in every season.

Last year, to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between our two countries, we had the privilege of bringing together an unprecedented joint orchestra at the Finlandia Hall, featuring an Emirati opera singer and 50 musicians from our two countries. With the launch of direct flights by Emirates, I hope that such events and exchanges will become increasingly frequent, further connecting the two friendly nations.

Building upon the 50th anniversary milestone, we now embark on this next chapter on a high note and look forward to the next 50 years from a position of immense strength. We are unified by a steadfast and mutual commitment to deepening our partnership across different sectors: from artificial intelligence and digital transformation to advanced technology and space, from renewable energy and sustainable development to education and tourism. The new daily direct flight will make it much easier for us to fulfil that commitment in the coming decades.

Beyond that, I believe that this new flight comes at a critical time, given the current situation in the region, reinforcing the UAE’s presence and standing as a leading, safe, and opportunity-driven economy, driving global momentum and consolidating its role as a central hub for innovation, trade, investment, and culture.

The UAE’s high level of preparedness for all situations reflects a forward-looking strategic vision developed over the past decades, which demonstrates the UAE’s unwavering commitment to strengthening its leading position and shaping a prosperous future. We have built strong fundamentals, global connectivity, institutional depth, and the capabilities to continue moving forward with confidence and stability. Having Emirates launching new travel destinations today, including to Helsinki, is a testament of that high level of robustness and sophistication of safety and security measures put in place over decades.

Thanks to Emirates, the long-held aspiration of Emiratis and Finns alike for a daily direct flight between our countries has finally become a reality. I am confident that this new connection will further strengthen our people-to-people ties and help advance the ambitious and forward-looking agenda we have set for our bilateral relationship.

And, fittingly, as Emirates says: “Fly Better, Fly Emirates.”

H.E. Amna Fikri, UAE Ambassador to Finland and Estonia