Malaysian King Hopes UAE Visit Will Create New Economic Opportunities

KUALA LUMPUR, June 19 (Bernama) -- Malaysian King, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah hopes his three-day visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) which concluded last Friday will pave the way for better economic cooperation between Malaysia and the Arabian Gulf nation. Comptroller of the Royal Household for Istana Negara (national palace), Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin, in a statement Tuesday said Sultan Abdullah was delighted with the outcome of the visit and has expressed this sentiment during a meeting with Economic Affairs Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali Monday. His Majesty also shared details of his discussions with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan which focused on a number of issues, including ways to further boost bilateral relations between the two countries. “The UAE is Malaysia’s largest trading partner in the Middle East region. As such, I hope this special visit to the UAE will result in the exploration of potential economic opportunities between the two countries, paving way for future collaborations and investment. “The meeting with the Minister helps ensure that these opportunities come to fruition as he and his colleagues will be able to take this to the next level in developing potential bilateral ventures,” the King said. The meeting with Azmin marked the first official engagement between Sultan Abdullah and the Economic Affairs Minister to discuss matters pertaining to the country’s economy. Sultan Abdullah and Sheikh Mohamed shared a long historic friendship which began during their military training at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst in the United Kingdom from 1978 to 1979. Their close friendship was reflected in various moments during the visit, including when Sheikh Mohamed presented the visiting Malaysian head of state with a framed photograph showing them together in Sandhurst. -- BERNAMA