Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (pic) announced on Thursday (Sept 21) that he has received invitations to visit the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia in October. Anwar disclosed that he will be in the UAE from Oct 5 to 6 for a working visit, followed by attending the inaugural ASEAN- Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit hosted by Saudi Arabia in Riyadh on Oct 16.
During his visit to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, Anwar expressed optimism about the stronger collaboration between Malaysia and UAE and Saudi Arabia, and expressed hopes for increased investments from these countries. He also highlighted the growing interest from GCC members such as Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Qatar in ASEAN.
Furthermore, during the UNGA, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir revealed that the total trade between Malaysia and UAE from January to April 2023 has increased by 5.7%, reaching RM11.89 billion. In May, UAE Trade Minister Thani Al Zeyoudi mentioned that Malaysian investments in the UAE amounted to US$150 million, while UAE investments in Malaysia reached US$220 million.
Moreover, Saudi Arabia has emerged as Malaysia’s largest trading partner among West Asian countries, with a total bilateral trade of US$10.26 billion recorded in 2022, marking a significant increase of 159.2% from 2021. One of the notable projects developed by the Kingdom in Malaysia is the Pengerang Integrated Complex in Johor, facilitated by Saudi Aramco.
All in all, these developments highlight the increasing engagement and investment opportunities between Malaysia, UAE, and Saudi Arabia, which are anticipated to strengthen economic ties and foster collaborations in various sectors.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
