President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has met with His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the United Arab Emirates. The meeting was held this morning at the Palace of the Crown Prince in Abu Dhabi.
During the meeting, President Solih and Crown Prince Al Nahyan exchanged updates on the ongoing situation of the Covid-19 pandemic in their respective countries. President Solih applauded the UAE's leadership in partnering with other countries to bolster global efforts to curb the spread of the Covid-19 outbreak. He further expressed admiration towards the innovative technological strategies deployed by the UAE Government in facing this pandemic.
President Solih and Crown Prince Al Nahyan also discussed ongoing development projects in the Maldives, carried out with the UAE Government's assistance, through the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD). President Solih reiterated appreciation to the UAE Government for the generous assistance provided to the Maldives over the years. Both the President and Crown Prince also spoke about ways to enhance cooperation between Maldives and UAE further and explored additional areas for collaboration to diversify existing relations.
Crown Prince Al Nahyan reassured his commitment for continuous support to the Maldives, especially in ongoing developmental projects in the fisheries, food security, transportation and tourism sectors.
The UAE has been a significant development partner of the Maldives since the late 1970s. Most recently, on March 9, 2020, the Maldives and ADFD signed a Memorandum of Understanding granting US$50 million as budget support to the Maldives. Velana International Airport and Maafaru International Airport development projects are key infrastructure projects funded by UAE.
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih is currently on a personal visit to UAE.