Philippine President to Visit UAE for the First Time
President Marcos’ UAE visit marks a key milestone in bilateral cooperation
Philippine President Marcos to Make Maiden Visit to UAE
MANILA: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines will make his maiden trip to the Gulf nation on Tuesday when he meets Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, his counterpart from the United Arab Emirates.
In honor of their 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties, the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates are collaborating closely in a number of fields, such as artificial intelligence and energy transition.
This will be Marcos’ first visit to the UAE since taking office in 2022.
“The President will personally oversee the overall state of bilateral relations between the Philippines and the UAE and will witness the signing of several agreements in various areas of cooperation, such as energy transition, artificial intelligence, judicial agreements, and culture,” Philippines. UAE Ambassador Alfonso A. Ver told Arab News on Monday.
The one-day visit is a “significant and symbolic milestone” in bilateral relations, he added.
“Bilateral relations between the two countries have reached a historic high and have expanded into new and innovative forms of cooperation,” Ver said, citing cooperation in space science, agriculture and digital infrastructure as examples.
“With President Marcos’ visit, the Philippines is keen to further enhance the positive, strong and comprehensive state and trajectory of our relationship with the UAE.”
The two countries are currently negotiating a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, which the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry said had made “significant progress” in early October.
The UAE is home to about one million Filipino citizens, making it the second-largest employer of Filipino expatriates after Saudi Arabia.
“The President will also convey the Philippine government’s gratitude to the nation’s leaders for tapping into Filipino talent, allowing it to flourish in an environment that fosters compassion, respect and tolerance,” the Presidential Communications Office said in a statement.
“These constructive conversations are expected to lead to agreements that will deepen relations between the two countries… Although the President’s visit will be short, the goodwill and opportunities it will generate will be substantial, resulting in stronger Philippine-UAE relations.”
