Dubai, UAE— The UAE is keen to strengthen economic ties with the Central Asian states, which offer many investment opportunities.
This was stated by Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, who is leading a UAE delegation of government officials to Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan.
Al Zeyoudi emphasised the UAE’s desire to strengthen relations with emerging economies in Central Asia.
“We are always looking to explore new markets, and the KazanForum provided an important platform to meet with representatives of Central Asian nations and find areas of mutual benefit – particularly in key sectors such as energy transition and food security. This is a region rich in potential with long-standing connections to the UAE and a natural market for our investors and exporters,” he said.
During the visit, Al Zeyoudi held a series of meetings with ministers and representatives of the business community, and delivered a speech at the “Russia-Islamic World: KazanForum 2023”, an event aimed at strengthening cooperation between Russia and members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
During the meetings, Al Zeyoudi discussed the prospects for collaboration in areas of common interest, especially trade, investment and climate mitigation issues.
At the Forum, Zeyoudi delivered opening remarks at a networking roundtable designed to stimulate investment between the Arab countries and Russia.
He highlighted how the UAE is now one of the leading global destinations for foreign direct investment and that initiatives such as NextGenFDI is helping to establish a diversified knowledge economy.
He also spoke during a session on the north-south trade corridor and its role in facilitating intra-regional trade.
Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi also held bilateral talks with several government ministers and senior officials, focusing on the current economic landscape, areas of mutual interest and opportunities for investment – particularly in key sectors such as fintech and renewable energy.
Al Zeyoudi also met Syed Naveed Qamar, Minister of Commerce of Pakistan, to discuss ways to enhance trade and investment between the two countries, notably in areas of mutual interest including logistics and transport.
Al Zeyoudi was joined by a delegation of senior officials including Hamad Rashed Alhebsi, Deputy Head of Mission in UAE Embassy in Moscow; Dr. Farah Ali Al Zarooni, Assistant Under-Secretary for the Standards and Regulations Sector at the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology; Dawood Al Shezawi, CEO of the Annual Investment Meeting (AIM); Rashed Ahmed Al Teneiji, Director of Trade Promotion Department at the Ministry of Economy; Mohamed Ahmed Mohamed Al Yamahi, Board Member of the Fujairah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.