ABU DHABI (Nov 13): The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Rural and Regional Development Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi will undertake an official visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) beginning Wednesday until Nov 19.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said this official visit is the first high-level engagement between both countries in 2024, since the working visit of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to the UAE 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.

Ahmad Zahid will be accompanied by senior officials of the relevant ministries and agencies, as well as representatives from small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia.

During the visit, the deputy prime minister is scheduled to engage in high-level discussions focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation, with particular emphasis on key sectors, such as the halal industry, technical and vocational education and training (TVET), and artificial intelligence (AI). 

The delegation is also scheduled to visit the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, and engage with representatives from G42, a leading AI company in the UAE.

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 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% to RM32.85 billion (US$7.5 billion), compared with RM28.31 billion (US$6.5 billion) for the corresponding period in 2023.

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