-min.png)
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is embarking on a crucial mission to attract fresh investments from West Asia, commencing with his inaugural official visit to Qatar's capital city. An extensive itinerary awaits him, commencing with a formal reception ceremony scheduled for approximately 10:30 am Qatar time (3:30 pm Malaysia time) at the Amiri Diwan, hosted by the Qatari government.
During his visit, Prime Minister Anwar will be warmly welcomed by Qatari Amir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who will later host a luncheon in his honor. Subsequently, discussions are slated with his counterpart, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who holds the dual position of Qatar’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. Foremost among the topics likely to be deliberated upon is the evolving situation in Gaza, particularly in light of ongoing Israeli aggression against Palestinians, notably the recent incursion into the southern city of Rafah.
Later in the day, Anwar, who also serves as the finance minister, is scheduled to engage with approximately 30 key figures in Qatar's industrial landscape. His aim is to provide insights into Malaysia’s dynamic investment opportunities and the prevailing trajectory of its economy. Given that petroleum and natural gas represent over 70 per cent of Qatar’s government revenue, Malaysia is keen on securing a stake in this lucrative sector while exploring new avenues for cooperation.
According to his social media post on X (formerly Twitter), the prime minister will actively participate in the Qatar Economic Forum and preside over the official inauguration of the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s branch campus in Doha. Furthermore, following a roundtable discussion with industry leaders, Anwar is slated to deliver a comprehensive public lecture at the Qatar National Library, hosted by Hamad Bin Khalifa University.
Wrapping up his second day in Qatar, the prime minister is scheduled to convene with approximately 500 Malaysians residing in the country. Presently, Qatar hosts around 5,500 Malaysians actively contributing across various sectors.
Accompanying Prime Minister Anwar on this diplomatic endeavor are Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan; Investment, Trade, and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz; and Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir.
In the preceding year, bilateral trade between Malaysia and Qatar amounted to RM4.2 billion, with the Gulf state emerging as Malaysia’s fifth-largest trading partner, sixth-largest export destination, and sixth-largest import source within the West Asia region. Notably, from January to March 2024, Malaysia's trade with Qatar surged by 178.4 per cent to RM1.43 billion (US$303.9 million), compared to RM514.9 million (US$116.7 million) during the corresponding period in 2023.
This year holds particular significance as it marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Malaysia and Qatar, underscoring a significant milestone in their enduring partnership.
Evon Anak Jerim is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
The User Content (as defined on Newswav Terms of Use) above including the views expressed and media (pictures, videos, citations etc) were submitted & posted by the author. Newswav is solely an aggregation platform that hosts the User Content. If you have any questions about the content, copyright or other issues of the work, please contact Newswav.
