Economic minister Mohamed Saeed speaks at the fourth Maldives Investment Forum in Dubar 2017. PHOTO/ECONOMIC MINISTRY
This year’s Maldives Investment Forum commenced at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre in Dubai on Monday.
It was inaugurated by the Maldives’ vice president Abdulla Jihad and the economic minister of the UAE, Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri. They were accompanied by other top government officials, including the Maldives’ economic minister Mohamed Saeed.
Speaking at the forum, which was organised jointly by the economic ministries of the Maldives and UAE, Jihad declared that investment opportunities exist in every industry of the Maldives. He highlighted that the Maldives’ economy has made significant progress due to the surge in foreign investments over the past four years of the current administration.
UAE’s economic minister Mansouri proclaimed that the Emirates is interested in investing in the Maldives and ensured that the UAE will work with the island nation to expand bilateral trade in the future.
The forum was attended by 350 participants, the majority of whom represented Dubai-based companies and international firms.
According to the economic ministry, the government will provide information on investment opportunities in the Maldives during this forum, focusing on the development of reclaimed suburb Hulhumale as a Youth City, development of regional airports, investment banks and establishment of a transshipment port in the Maldives.
This the fourth edition of the annual Investment Forum. The previous year’s forum was held in India, while China hosted it in 2015 and Singapore in 2014.