MALAYSIA, UAE LOOK TO BOLSTER TIES 

From Zarul Effendi Razali

DUBAI, Nov 17 (Bernama) -- Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are  looking forward to bolstering ties across various sectors.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said his meeting with UAE's Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei here focused on cooperation in areas such as food security.

“I observed UAE’s strong commitment to ensuring the availability of food supplies in the region by positioning itself as a major hub for the re-export of food products.

“This indirectly presents great opportunities for Malaysia to increase the export of food and halal products to the UAE market and its surrounding regions,” he said in a Facebook post today.

During the meeting, Ahmad Zahid and Suhail also discussed potential collaborations in the logistics and port management sectors, particularly with the use of advanced technology such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), which has been implemented by the UAE in port management and has proven effective in optimising container handling and improving their logistics efficiency.

Ahmad Zahid expressed that if the UAE's advanced technologies, such as AI for port management, were to be applied in Malaysia, they could enhance the capacity and competitiveness of local ports like Tanjung Pelepas Port and Westports.

The discussions also covered potential collaboration in disaster management. 

Ahmad Zahid noted that UAE's Space42 boasts an advanced disaster monitoring system, which could aid Malaysia in developing an early warning system to improve disaster response efficiency.

“I have personally observed that the UAE, through Space42, has an advanced disaster monitoring system. This has the potential to help Malaysia develop an early warning system that can enhance Malaysia's ability to manage disasters more efficiently,” he said.

Also discussed was the potential collaboration in the development of data centres using green energy, as the UAE has made significant investments in infrastructure involving four nuclear reactors that contribute about 25 percent of the country’s electricity needs.

“I have also welcomed the UAE's proposal to collaborate with Malaysia in data technology to strengthen our country's data security functions and capabilities,” said Ahmad Zahid.

Concluding the meeting, Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Minister of Rural and Regional Development, took the opportunity to invite the UAE to attend MIHAS@Dubai 2024, to be held at the Dubai World Trade Centre starting tomorrow, as a platform to showcase Malaysian products, in addition to inviting the country to participate in the ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit next year.

“I also expressed my appreciation for the UAE’s support for Malaysia as a BRICS partner. It is hoped that this close relationship will open more new opportunities for Malaysians and elevate Malaysia’s position on the international stage as a strong strategic partner, Insya-Allah,” he said.

-- BERNAMA