His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the UAE, presided over the fifth session of the joint high committee between the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait today in Abu Dhabi. The Kuwaiti side was chaired by His Excellency Abdullah Ali Abdullah Al Yahya, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kuwait.
The meeting was attended by His Excellency Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure; His Excellency Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology; His Excellency Dr. Ahmed bin Abdullah Hamid Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Sports; His Excellency Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al Qasimi, Minister of Culture; Her Excellency Sara bint Yousif Al Amiri, Minister of Education; His Excellency Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar, Minister of State, along with several senior officials from both countries.
At the beginning of his speech, His Highness welcomed the Kuwaiti Foreign Minister, emphasizing that the convening of the fifth session of the joint committee exemplifies the depth of the fraternal relations between the two brotherly countries, founded by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, hand in hand with his brothers, Sheikh Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah and Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, may God have mercy on them.
His Highness stated, “With zeal and determination, we continue today to pursue the path of cooperation and joint action under the leadership and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, may God protect him, and his brother, His Highness Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Emir of the State of Kuwait.”
His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan affirmed, “What distinguishes UAE-Kuwait relations and their continuous development are the social and cultural bonds that unite the two brotherly peoples, including ties of brotherhood, friendship, and a shared heritage, history, and values.” He added, “We will continue to strengthen and build upon this bond to achieve further progress and shared prosperity in various fields.”
His Highness also confirmed that the UAE has always seen Kuwait as a strategic partner in all fields, and an integral part of the progress and prosperity in the Arabian Gulf and the entire region.
His Highness added, “Our non-oil bilateral trade has seen significant growth over the past years, reaching its highest levels historically in 2023, with a total value exceeding $12 billion.”
His Highness stated, “We continuously look forward to expanding our partnerships with our brothers in Kuwait, including sectors like industry, trade, renewable energy, transportation, and infrastructure.”
His Highness affirmed that the UAE believes in the necessity of cooperating with our brothers and main partners within various international institutions and multilateral platforms.
He added, “Accordingly, we look forward to continuing mutual support for the nominations of the two brotherly countries in global institutions and forums, in addition to enhancing our partnerships at the multilateral level.”
His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan also stated, “The UAE reaffirms its supportive stance on the Durra field and the ownership of natural resources in the submerged divided area adjacent to the Saudi-Kuwaiti divided zone, including the entire Durra field, which is jointly owned by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the State of Kuwait alone, with full rights to exploit the natural resources in that area, according to the provisions of international law and based on the agreements concluded and in force between them.”
In conclusion, His Highness thanked all the participants in the committee, wishing His Excellency Abdullah Ali Al Yahya and the accompanying delegation a pleasant stay in the UAE.
Following that, His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the UAE, and His Excellency Abdullah Ali Al Yahya, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kuwait, signed the minutes of the meeting of the fifth session of the joint high committee between the UAE and Kuwait. His Highness also witnessed the signing of eight memoranda of understanding and executive programs between the two brotherly countries.
The memoranda of understanding and executive programs included the following:
• A memorandum of understanding on cooperation in infrastructure between the government of the United Arab Emirates and the government of Kuwait, signed by His Excellency Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, and His Excellency Abdullah Ali Al Yahya, Kuwaiti Minister of Foreign Affairs.
• A memorandum of understanding on cooperation in standardization activities, signed by His Excellency Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, and His Excellency Abdullah Ali Al Yahya, Kuwaiti Minister of Foreign Affairs.
• A memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the fields of telecommunications and information technology, signed by His Excellency Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, and His Excellency Abdullah Ali Al Yahya, Kuwaiti Minister of Foreign Affairs.
• The executive program for educational cooperation between the government of the United Arab Emirates and the government of Kuwait for the years 2024 – 2027, signed by Her Excellency Sara bint Yousif Al Amiri, Minister of Education, and His Excellency Abdullah Ali Al Yahya, Kuwaiti Minister of Foreign Affairs.
• The executive program for sports cooperation between the government of the United Arab Emirates and the government of Kuwait for the years 2024 – 2026, signed by His Excellency Dr. Ahmed bin Abdullah Hamid Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Sports, and His Excellency Abdullah Ali Al Yahya, Kuwaiti Minister of Foreign Affairs.
• The executive program for cultural cooperation between the government of the United Arab Emirates and the government of Kuwait for the years 2024 – 2026, signed by His Excellency Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al Qasimi, Minister of Culture, and His Excellency Abdullah Ali Al Yahya, Kuwaiti Minister of Foreign Affairs.
• A memorandum of understanding between the government of the United Arab Emirates, represented by the Cyber Security Council, and the government of Kuwait, represented by the National Cyber Security Center, signed by His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Hamad Al Kuwaiti, Head of the Cyber Security Council for the government of the UAE, and His Excellency Major General Engineer M / Mohamed Abdulaziz Bouarki, Head of the National Cyber Security Center in Kuwait.
• A memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Defense of the UAE, represented by EDGE Group, and the Ministry of Defense of Kuwait concerning defense purchases and industries, signed by His Excellency Hamad Mohamed Al Marar, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of EDGE Group, and His Excellency Rear Admiral Faisal Khalifa Saif, Head of the Armament and Equipment Authority.
Before the commencement of the joint high committee session between the two countries, His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan held a meeting with His Excellency Abdullah Ali Al Yahya, during which they discussed the solid fraternal relations and pathways of bilateral cooperation between the two brotherly countries, as well as exchanged views on various issues of mutual interest.
