President Mirziyoyev meets with Dubai's crown prince 

On September 27, 2024, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan met with the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, and Crown Prince of Dubai, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, leading a high-level delegation from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The meeting, as reported by the President’s press service, focused on deepening the multilateral partnership between Uzbekistan and the UAE.

Key topics of discussion included the promotion of economic and investment projects and the establishment of practical defense cooperation between the two nations. Several prominent ministers from the UAE, including the Minister of Government Affairs, the Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, the Minister of Economy, and the Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Economy, were present at the meeting.

Sheikh Hamdan conveyed warm greetings from UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Dubai Emir Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to President Mirziyoyev. Discussions centered on formulating a new long-term agenda for collaboration, particularly in areas such as investments, green energy, digital transformation, infrastructure, education, healthcare, and tourism.

At the beginning of their meeting, Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum expressed gratitude to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev for his warm reception and conveyed the greetings of UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Dubai's Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

The discussions between the two leaders focused on establishing a new long-term agenda for mutually beneficial cooperation. Key areas highlighted included investments, innovative development, green energy, infrastructure, education, healthcare, ecology, digital transformation, and tourism.

The report noted the success of a joint forum held earlier in the day, which aimed at exploring the potential for cooperation between the two nations. Both sides recognized the positive outcomes of bilateral intergovernmental and interdepartmental negotiations, leading to an agreement on adopting a "roadmap" for expanding large-scale cooperation in strategic sectors.

The UAE is recognized as one of Uzbekistan's key partners in the Asian region, with the most recent high-level discussions taking place at the Global Climate Summit held in Dubai in December of the previous year. These ongoing engagements underscore the growing partnership between the two nations across various fields.

The UAE is a significant partner for Uzbekistan, with bilateral trade between the two countries growing by 21% in 2023, reaching $626 million. More than 320 enterprises involving UAE capital are currently operating in Uzbekistan, and ongoing and prospective investment projects amount to about $20 billion.

Earlier, Saida Mirziyoyeva, an assistant to the President of Uzbekistan, had also met with Sheikh Hamdan, where they discussed further bilateral cooperation and the implementation of joint programs and projects.