RIYADH, Oct 21 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim continued the Unity Government’s efforts to attract global investors to Malaysia by meeting with industry leaders on the last day of his working visit to Saudi Arabia today.
After the end of the Asean-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit yesterday, Anwar, who is also the Minister of Finance, took the opportunity to meet with Saudi Arabia’s Trade Minister, Majid Abdullah Alkassabi, as well as with Saudi Aramco (Aramco) president cum chief executive officer, Amin H Nasser, to discuss the world’s largest oil and gas company’s investment plans in Malaysia.
He was accompanied by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir, Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, and the Malaysian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Datuk Wan Zaidi Wan Abdullah.
Previously, Aramco said it intends to make Malaysia a hub for Saudi Arabia’s oil and gas development in Southeast Asia. In 2017, Petronas and Aramco established a joint investment in Pengerang, Kota Tinggi, Johor.
Tengku Zafrul told the Malaysian press that today’s talks with Aramco went smoothly and were on the right track. The results of the discussion with Aramco will be announced in the near future.
He added that the Prime Minister also met with the leaders of Malaysian and Saudi Arabian companies, which have established cooperation in several real estate, technology, and aviation projects in both countries.
They include Dagang NeXchange Bhd (DNeX) and Ajlan & Bros Holding Group, MGB Bhd, and Alameriah Real Estate Development, as well as Mobility One Sdn Bhd, Al-Nesma Holding Co Ltd, and SARH.
Anwar then witnessed the exchange of memorandum of understanding documents between Westar Aviation Services Sdn Bhd and Mukamalah Aviation Company, Dagang NeXchange Bhd and Ajlan Bros Holding Group, Twistcode Technologies Sdn Bhd and Ajlan Bros, as well as MGB Bhd and Sany Alameriah.
The Prime Minister also received a courtesy visit from the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia’s governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan to discuss investment cooperation.
Tengku Zafrul said today’s programme proved the seriousness and commitment of Malaysia and Saudi Arabia to further increase trade and investment relations and cooperation to a new level.
“We can see how quickly the efforts to hold discussions between the two parties were carried out. This proves their seriousness and commitment,” he said.
The Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (Miti), the Malaysian Investment Development Board (Mida), and the Malaysian Embassy in Saudi Arabia organised the programme.
Anwar is on a two-day working visit to Riyadh to attend the Asean-GCC Summit, held for the first time since the two regional blocs established relations in 1990.
Saudi Arabia is Malaysia’s largest trading partner among West Asian countries, with total bilateral trade between the two countries in 2022 amounting to US$10.26 billion (RM48.91 billion), an increase of 159.2 per cent from 2021.
The Fortune Global 500 in 2021 placed Saudi Aramco in the world’s top six most profitable companies, with a turnover of US$105 billion (RM500.5 billion).
— Bernama
