UAE & MSIA TO FURTHER PROMOTE INVESTMENT & TRADE THROUGH JOINT COMMITTEES

By Tengku Noor Shamsiah Tengku Abdullah

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 4 (Bernama) -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and
Malaysia are working hard to further promote investment and trade between the
two countries through the setting up of joint committees.

"Investment and trade between both countries is at a very good level but it
can be further improved," UAE Ambassador to Malaysia, Nasser Salman AlAboodi,
told Bernama on the occasion of the 37th anniversary of the UAE National Day
here Wednesday night.

"Both countries are working very hard on a lot of things through joint
committees and we are going to meet to discuss the possibilities," he
said.

On the National Day celebrations, AlAlboodi said: "We want to say that we
are so happy with our relations with Malaysia."

"There is good progress in different fields, such as the political,
economic and education sectors. We are still working to further enhance these
relations," he said, adding that commitment could be seen from a number of high
level visits between officials of the two countries.

According to AlAboodi, UAE regards Malaysia as a good example of an Islamic
country in Asia.

In terms of tourism, he said "a big quantity" of tourists from UAE has been
coming to Malaysia during summer time, adding that the number was increasing
every year.

The UAE celebrated its 37th National Day on Dec 2, with President Sheikh
Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan urging his people not to rest on their laurels in
efforts to bring the Gulf nation to greater heights.

UAE is a federation of seven emirates comprising Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah,
Ajman, Umm al-Qaiwain, Ras al-Khaimah and Fujairah.

The country lies in the south-eastern corner of the Arabian Peninsula,
bordered by the Arabian Gulf and the Indian Ocean. It has emerged as a major
commercial and financial trading hub for the region.

The nation's development has been funded to a large extent by the UAE's
ample resources of hydrocarbons, with the fourth largest oil reserves and the
fifth largest gas reserves in the world.

Also benefiting from UAE's progress are millions of expatriates, including
contractual overseas workers, a substantial portion of whom are
Filipinos.

From less than half a million in 1971, the country's population increased
to nearly five million today.

Much of the increase came from expatriates who have flocked to the country
to take part in its economic growth and benefit from employment and other
opportunities.

Today, around four-fifths of the populations are expatriates from over 150
countries.
-- BERNAMA