Dubai, UAE – September 5, 2023 – Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, led a UAE delegation to Jakarta, Indonesia, to attend the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit. The summit is an annual economic policy event that brings together heads of government, ministers, senior officials, policymakers, and business leaders to discuss key issues facing Southeast Asia.
UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade, Thani Al Zeyoudi-Image Source: Sky News
Alongside the summit, Al Zeyoudi met with a number of prime ministers, ministers, and senior government officials from across the region to explore further trade and investment opportunities between the UAE and ASEAN, and to continue building international consensus on key trade global issues ahead of the UAE’s hosting of the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference in February 2024.
On the second day of the summit, Al Zeyoudi highlighted the growing importance of ASEAN in the UAE’s foreign trade strategy, during a panel discussion titled “Innovation, Sustainability, and Prosperity: Enhancing the Partnership between the UAE and ASEAN.”
In his keynote address, Al Zeyoudi stressed that ASEAN countries are key trade and investment partners for the UAE, as both sides share a common vision for the future that supports free trade and the flow of capital as key drivers of growth and prosperity. Al Zeyoudi highlighted the key areas of joint cooperation such as agriculture, renewable energy, advanced technology, logistics, travel and tourism, and more.
“The ASEAN Business and Investment Summit is an important platform for connecting with ministers and senior officials in one of the most dynamic and growing regions in the world,” Al Zeyoudi said. “The conversations and decisions that take place during the summit have a direct impact on the economies of the ASEAN countries, and beyond.”
“As the global economic center of gravity continues to shift eastward, the UAE and ASEAN can create a new platform to provide opportunities and direct investment to high-growth sectors, and develop new solutions in the areas of food security, energy transition, and future industries based on innovation,” Al Zeyoudi added.
“The focus of the UAE’s Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement program, which is implementing to expand its network of trade partners, on ASEAN countries, by signing agreements with Indonesia and Cambodia, and continuing to hold talks to reach similar agreements with Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia, confirms the UAE’s growing confidence in these promising economies and their role in achieving a better future for the Asian economy as a whole,” the minister said.
