Her Excellency Sabina Stadler, Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia to the United Arab Emirates, affirmed her country's keenness to strengthen bilateral relations with the UAE and expand horizons of cooperation in economic, investment, tourism, and scientific fields.
She pointed to promising opportunities for establishing partnerships in the sectors of logistics, hospitality, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and scientific research.
In an interview with "Gulf Tourism News", the Ambassador stated that the UAE represents an inspiring model of visionary leadership, investment in youth and education, and achieving economic development. She confirmed that one of her top priorities during her tenure in the country is to elevate bilateral relations to new levels and explore further areas of cooperation to serve the mutual interests of both nations.
She explained that Slovenia seeks to enhance its investment presence within the Emirati business community and make progress toward concluding a bilateral investment agreement, which will support reciprocal investment flows and provide opportunities for long-term partnerships.
The logistics sector is considered one of the most prominent promising areas for cooperation, benefiting from the strategic location of the Slovenian port of Koper on the Adriatic Sea, which serves as a major gateway for transporting goods and containers to Central Europe and provides vital trade routes to access regional markets, including southern Germany.
She also highlighted cooperation opportunities in tourism, hotels, health resorts, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology sectors, emphasizing the importance of Emirati investments in supporting Slovenian small and medium-sized enterprises, expanding their activities, and fostering innovation, research, and development.
Tourism and Hospitality
Regarding the tourism sector, the Ambassador invited UAE citizens, residents, and visitors, along with citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, to visit Slovenia and discover its diverse natural and touristic assets.
She described Slovenia as an ideal year-round holiday destination due to its diversity, which combines mountains, beaches, forests, plains, vineyards, and health resorts.
Slovenia offers a wide range of tourism experiences, including winter sports, skiing, mountaineering, hiking in nature trails, city exploration, eco-activities, and coastal tourism. Summer temperatures generally hover around 30 degrees Celsius, making the country an attractive destination for visitors from the Gulf region.
She noted that forests cover about two-thirds of Slovenia's area, which also boasts abundant water resources and a striking natural and ecological diversity, further enhancing its tourist appeal.
Slovenia has recorded continuous growth in international visitor numbers over more than a decade, ranging between 2 and 5% annually, and reaching 10% in some years.
The Ambassador stressed her country's commitment to achieving a balance between tourism sector growth, environmental protection, and the preservation of its natural identity, while avoiding high-density mass tourism.
She added that Slovenia welcomes foreign investments in the tourism sector, offering opportunities to develop luxury hotels and resorts, alongside renovating existing hotel facilities and reintroducing them under international hotel brands, provided they adhere to environmental standards.
She pointed out the country's need for more hotels that offer higher levels of luxury, comfort, and quality in hospitality services.
Medical Tourism
Regarding medical and wellness tourism, the Ambassador explained that Slovenia is distinguished by natural springs rich in mineral waters with therapeutic properties.
Its health resorts offer a wide range of programs including health and beauty care, rehabilitation therapy, revitalization and wellbeing, alongside sports and recreational activities.
She emphasized that these assets provide opportunities to develop specialized medical and wellness tourism programs targeting visitors from the UAE and the Gulf region in general, leveraging Slovenia's established expertise in this field.
Artificial Intelligence and Scientific Research
In the field of scientific and technological cooperation, the Ambassador highlighted Slovenia's long-standing expertise in artificial intelligence and machine learning, noting that about 70 years ago, the capital Ljubljana and its university were among the important research centers in this field.
She stated that Slovenia is currently working on developing advanced AI applications in healthcare, medicine, and robotics, and seeks to enhance cooperation with Emirati institutions in scientific research, education, and academic exchange.
She explained that Slovenian universities and research institutes—notably the University of Ljubljana, the Jožef Stefan Institute, the National Institute of Biology, and the National Chemistry Institute—provide opportunities for cooperation with researchers and students from around the world, including the UAE and the Gulf region.
She also pointed out the developments achieved by Slovenia in medical technology and personalized treatments, including research related to cancer and viral diseases, stressing the importance of investment and partnerships with startups and specialized institutions to develop these technologies and expand their applications.
The Ambassador noted that Slovenia has launched two satellites into space and possesses a specialized office dedicated to this sector, including cooperation with the European Space Agency.
She added that her country is home to specialized companies in space, security, defense, and advanced technologies, which opens additional horizons for cooperation with the UAE.
Sustainability and Quality of Life
The Ambassador stressed that environmental protection and sustainability represent a core focus in Slovenia's developmental policies, noting that more than a third of the country's area enjoys environmental protection, including national and regional parks.
She highlighted her country's commitment to recycling and preserving biodiversity, as well as its role in supporting the launch of World Bee Day, celebrated annually on 20 May, aimed at raising awareness of the importance of pollinators in protecting food security and maintaining ecological balance.
She also confirmed Slovenia's excellence in education and healthcare, pointing out the comprehensiveness of the health insurance system and the high standards of medical services, particularly in neonatal and pediatric care.
Concluding the interview, the Ambassador renewed her invitation to citizens of the UAE, GCC countries, and UAE residents to visit Slovenia, enjoy its exceptional natural beauty, safety, sustainability, and diverse touristic assets, alongside the promising investment and scientific opportunities it offers.
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