Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia, received Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, on a visit to the country designed to deepen trade and investment ties between the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia.
Dr. Al Zeyoudi and Malaysia’s Minister Zafrul Aziz discussed enhancing collaboration in tech, manufacturing, and services, and reviewed negotiations for an Economic Partnership Agreement. Reflecting strengthened ties, UAE-Malaysia non-oil trade hit US$4.7 billion in 2023, sustaining 2022's record levels.
Al Zeyoudi stated,
“Malaysia is a highly valued and long-standing trade and investment partner for the UAE, and this visit underlines the importance of face-to-face meetings as we seek to elevate our relationship. Our nations both recognise the developmental importance of open, rules-based trade and are committed to ensuring our private sectors are able to maximise the opportunities available in each other’s economies. We see considerable potential for greater trade and investment flows, particularly in high-growth sectors such as energy, logistics, manufacturing and financial services, and believe we can collaborate to further develop the Halal economy. We look forward to making progress on our CEPA negotiations and securing long-term, sustainable prosperity for both our nations.”
Echoing these sentiments, Zafrul Aziz stated,
“The UAE is an important partner for Malaysia in the Middle East with whom we share a mutual commitment to enhancing trade and investment through open and fair-trade practices. This meeting is a testament to our joint efforts to build a more robust economic relationship that will benefit both our countries and regions.”
The UAE has been strengthening its ties with the ASEAN bloc in recent years. They have now signed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements with Indonesia (July, 2022) and Cambodia (June, 2023), both of which are now in operation and helping to accelerate bilateral trade.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
