Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri said the UAE is keen to support the OIC efforts and initiatives aimed at promoting concerted action and encouraging the expansion of Islamic economies, reports Asian Lite Newsdesk
Minister of Economy, Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, led the UAE delegation to the meetings of the 38th Ministerial Session of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (COMCEC), held in Istanbul on 26-29 November at the level of ministers and high-ranking officials.
“The UAE, under the leadership of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is keen to support the efforts of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and its initiatives aimed at promoting concerted action amongst Islamic countries, encouraging the expansion of our economies, and developing effective plans to deal with present and upcoming challenges,” the minister said during his remarks at the meetings.
“The UAE is keenly interested in maximising mutual benefit with the rest of the Islamic world, particularly given that trade movement between the Emirates and the COMCEC states is experiencing continuous growth” he said, explaining that the UAE’s trade with these countries hit about AED650 billion in 2021, representing a growth of 26% over the previous year.
Because of their advantageous location, which establishes them as a vital and sustainable link in the movement of global trade, the Islamic countries are well-equipped to help ensure the continuity of global supply chains despite the current challenges the world is facing, Bin Touq added.
About $4 trillion worth of trade was conducted between COMCEC nations and the rest of the globe in 2021, making up 10% of all global merchandise trade volume, 9.5 percent of exports, and 10.5 percent of imports, the minister noted.
Earlier this month, the UAE elected Vice President of the OIC team to respond to cyber emergencies.
This was during the 10th Regional Cybersecurity Week for Arab Countries and OIC Member States organised by the Arab Regional Cybersecurity Centre in cooperation with the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology in the Sultanate of Oman, with the participation of more than 400 specialists from 45 countries.
During its participation, the UAE presented its experience in this sector, underscoring the UAE leadership’s interest and efforts to strengthen the country’s advanced position in maintaining sophisticated and secure digital infrastructure that keeps pace with its ambitions for the next 50 years. The UAE ranked fifth in the Global Cybersecurity Index 2020 issued by the UN International Telecommunication Union.
Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cybersecurity at the UAE Government, said that the UAE has extensive experience in the fields of cloud computing security, and it has prioritised this field due to its pivotal role in accelerating secure digital transformation.
Moreover, he underscored that the UAE is keen to continue strengthening its electronic infrastructure and cyber domains to protect its cybersecurity.
OIC chief lauds UAE
Hissein Brahim Taha, the Secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), has praised the contributions of the UAE in promoting the values of peace and tolerance.
The OIC Secretary-General also lauded the role of the Abu Dhabi Forum for Peace in serving peace, dialogue, coexistence, and moderation. He stressed the full readiness of the OIC General Secretariat for cooperation between the two sides.
He made this statement yesterday when he received Al Mahfoudh bin Bayyah, Secretary-General of the Abu Dhabi Forum for Peace.
During the meeting, Al Mahfoudh bin Bayyah praised the OIC’s role in uniting Islamic countries and promoting cooperation, solidarity, and peace. He expressed the wish of the Abu Dhabi Forum for Peace to cooperate with the OIC in areas of common interest.