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ABU DHABI – Malaysia is offering the United Arab Emirates the opportunity to make a “reverse investment” to support the food security policies of both countries and help the UAE become a food hub in the Middle East.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said Malaysia has vast and suitable land for foreign investors to invest in agriculture.
“I have suggested to the UAE president to make a reverse investment in agriculture in Malaysia.
“This is in line with the UAE’s plan of becoming a hub for agricultural exports to African countries and so on,” he said at a press conference in conjunction with his working visit to the UAE.
The prime minister said in a meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the Presidential Residence here yesterday, Mohamed welcomed the proposal and the two leaders agreed to establish a joint working committee to look into the proposal in more detail.
Ismail Sabri said previously, Qatar and Saudi Arabia had also expressed interest in participating in reverse investment in agriculture in Malaysia, which would help the country to increase the production of agricultural products.
He said Baladna, a Qatari dairy producer, had made a commitment to invest RM4.5 billion in the largest dairy farm in the Southeast Asian region with two sites identified – Cuping, Perlis and Muadzam, Pahang.
He said Malaysia and Saudi Arabia had previously signed an agreement to explore new collaboration in agriculture.
The prime minister also said that Malaysia was weighing up whether to import fertiliser from the UAE.
During a visit to the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company here yesterday, the prime minister was informed that the company was not only involved in oil and gas but also in other economic activities such as fertiliser production.
He said the trade value between the two countries increased by 90.4% for the first eight months of this year to RM25.6 billion, exceeding the total value of 2021, which stood at RM22.29 billion.
The prime minister said both countries also agreed to expand bilateral investment and trade.
At the same meeting, he said the UAE president also thanked the more than 6,000 Malaysians working in the country, who were considered disciplined, hardworking, and do not cause problems. – Bernama, September 27, 2022
