ABU DHABI: Deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi will kickstart his seven-day official work visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) today.
Zahid's presence marks the first high-level engagement between both countries following Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's working visit here in October last year.
Wisma Putra, in a statement today, said Zahid's visit 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.
Zahid's inaugural visit to the UAE will see him engaging in high level discussions focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation with emphasise on key sectors such as the halal industry, technical and vocational education and training and artificial intelligence (AI).
The rural and regional development minister's delegation, made up of ministerial and agencies officials and small and medium enterprises' representations, is 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, Zahid will officiate Malaysia International Halal Showcase Dubai 2024 and meet with key stakeholders in the UAE's halal sector to further promote Malaysia and attract more investors.
Wisma Putra said the UAE was the largest importer of Malaysian halal products among the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries last year.
It said the UAE is Malaysia's second-largest trading partner, second largest export destination and second largest import source from the West Asian region.
From January to September this year, the total trade between Malaysia and the UAE increased by 16.03 per cent to RM32.85 billion compared with RM28.31 billion for the corresponding period last year.