AHMAD ZAHID ARRIVES IN UAE FOR SEVEN-DAY OFFICIAL VISIT

From Zarul Effendi Razali

ABU DHABI, Nov 13 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has arrived at the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for his first official visit to the gulf country.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Rural and Regional Development Minister, arrived at Al Bateen Executive Airport here at 3.12 pm local time on a special aircraft, accompanied by senior officials from the relevant ministries and agencies, as well representatives from small and medium enterprises in Malaysia.

He was welcomed by UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei and Malaysia’s Ambassador-designate to the UAE Tengku Datuk Sirajuzzaman Tengku Mohamed Ariffin.

In a statement today, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said this official visit, which ends on Nov 19, marks the first high-level engagement between both countries in 2024 following Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s working visit there in October 2023.

“It underscores Malaysia’s continuous commitment to strengthening ties and fostering cooperation in various sectors for the mutual benefit of both countries, since the elevation of bilateral relations to Strategic Partnership in September 2022,” it said.

As part of his visit, Ahmad Zahid will officiate the Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) Dubai 2024 and meet with key stakeholders in the UAE's halal sector to further promote Malaysia and attract more investors. 

“In 2023, the UAE was the largest importer of Malaysian halal products among the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

“The UAE is also Malaysia’s second-largest trading partner, second-largest export destination and second-largest import source from the West Asian region," it said. 

From January to September 2024, total trade between Malaysia and the UAE increased by 16.03 per cent to RM32.85 billion (US$7.5 billion) compared with RM28.31 billion (US$6.5 billion) for the corresponding period in 2023.

-- BERNAMA