–as VP Jagdeo meets with top Emirati officials

CO-OPERATION between Guyana and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has substantially improved over the past two years, and the relationship appears to be deepening with Vice-President Bharrat Jagdeo’s ongoing high-level engagements in the Middle Eastern country.

During his visit so far, Guyana’s Vice President has already engaged His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum, a member of the ruling family of Dubai. A release from the Office of the Vice President noted that talks between the two leaders centred upon further co-operation and investments.

Dr. Jagdeo also met with the UAE’s Minister of State for International Cooperation, Reem Ebrahim Al Hashimy. Strengthening the role and interest of the south in the global multilateral system and climate change negotiations were among the discussions between the two.
A bilateral agreement on Cyber Security was also formalised between Guyana and the UAE.

Other high-level meetings were held with Dubai Ports (DP) World and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) on areas of mutual interest and co-operation.
The Vice President is accompanied by the Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar and Guyana’s National Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Advisor, Daryl Akeung.

“Further engagements will be held in the UAE over the next few days,” the release stated.
It is important to note that the Vice President’s ongoing meetings build upon several earlier engagements between the Guyanese and Emirati leaders.

In November 2020, just months after the Dr. Irfaan Ali administration was sworn into office, Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum came to Guyana on a three-day official state visit. The Sheikh and his Emirati delegation were made privy to the abundant investment opportunities across all major sectors of Guyana.

And that State visit heralded in more frequent diplomatic engagements between the two countries.
One year later, in October 2021, the Sheikh engaged President Ali and members of the Guyanese private sector in Dubai, the most populous city in the UAE and Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE.

Guyana’s Head of State and the local private sector players visited the country for the World Expo- Expo 2020- hosted by Dubai. Even so, numerous business engagements outside of the expo were held. In fact, President Ali also visited Abu Dhabi’s Ports ultra-modern temperature-controlled vaccine storage warehouse facility.

At a press conference after that visit, President Ali said that Guyana is eyeing the establishment of a deep-water harbour in the Atlantic Ocean to accommodate large vessels. This project, the President said then, could be funded through private Emirati investments.

“Abu Dhabi Port is looking at leading the studies to come up with a technical evaluation and then financial evaluation… the initial assessment is one of great optimism,” Dr. Ali said at that press conference.
With the Vice President now engaged in a series of discussions with key Emirati officials, oil and gas co-operation is a key area of mutual interest.