Egypt plans to increase its exports to the UAE to hit five billion dollars within the coming three years.

Younan Edward, the head of the Egyptian Trade Representation Office in Dubai, told MENA that the office adopted a plan to increase the Egyptian exports to the UAE, that were estimated at one billion dollars last year.

The remarks came on the sidelines of the Big 5 Show that kicked off on Monday. Some 20 Egyptian companies operating in the construction domain are taking part in the event runs till November 24.

He noted that the plan led to the increase of the exports during the first nine months of 2016 to hit 1.8 billion dollars, expecting them to reach two billion dollars by the end of 2016.

Egyptian imports from the UAE, however, declined to 361 million dollars during the first nine months of 2016 against 629 million dollars during the corresponding period of last year, he said.

For the first time, the trade balance between the two countries achieved a 746-million-dollar surplus for the sake of Egypt, he added.

Egyptian exports to the UAE include television sets, furniture, crude gold, electrical cables, copper wires and coal.