UAE interested in infra investment in Nepal

Kathmandu, June 21: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has shown interest in partnering in Nepal’s infrastructure development including hydroelectricity and railways.

Nepal has a huge potential in energy sector and infrastructure development, and the UAE is keen to support it, said UAE Ambassador to Nepal Saeed Al Naqbi in an interaction with the journalists on Thursday.

A 26-member delegation comprising the UAE government officials and private sector businessmen is coming to Nepal this month, upon an invitation of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, to discuss the potential areas of government and private sector cooperation and investment.

“The delegation led by Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Trade Abdulla Al Saleh will arrive here on 24 June. It will meet the government officials, sectoral agencies and private sector businesspersons the next day,” said Naqbi.

The two countries will discuss about the UAE investment in Nepal, export promotion and other businesses.

According to Ambassador Naqbi, the UAE is interested in extending its support to Nepal on railway administration, hydropower development, and there will be cooperation between the two governments and private sector companies from both the countries.

Approximately 300,000 Nepali are working in the UAE currently. It’s the third largest employer of Nepali workers after Malaysia and Qatar.

UAE wants solution through dialogue

 The UAE has said that its engagement as the Arab Coalition partner in Yemen was concentrated to protecting civilian lives and supplying humanitarian support.

Ambassador Naqbi said that recent seizure of Hodeidah port from Houthi rebels has opened the main gateway for food and other humanitarian support to the people in Yemen.

The coalition of UAE, Sudan, Yemen and Saudi Arabia had launched an assault on Houthi rebels which freed the Hodeidah port but more than 280 people died in the strikes.

“The occupation of the Hodeidah governorate and Hodeidah port was resulted in the Houthis earning over USD 3 billion in revenue which enabled them to finance and prolong the war and their military operations, and it exacerbated the suffering of Yemeni Civilians,” said Naqbi.

According to him, the consistent mismanagement and exploitation of aid assistance reaching Hodeidah port is a direct and clear violation of the UN Security Council Resolution. The Arab Coalition will do its utmost to ensure that the port remains a key access point for humanitarian aid.

However, he said that coalition’s operation in Hodeidah came after more than two years of fruitless diplomatic negotiations with the Houthis.

He also said that the coalition was committed to find a political solution to the conflict in Yemen.

“Our actions are aimed at forcing the Houthis into a political civilian lives, and have now succeed in securing the Airport in Hodeidah,” he said.

The embassy said in a statement that seven UAE aircrafts were available to launch a humanitarian air bridge. More than 14,000 food baskets have already been prepared for urgent aid drops, if necessary.

The coalition has contributed to more than USD 14 billion in humanitarian support to Yemen.

“The UAE will also set up a humanitarian assistance division as part of the Civilian and Military Command Centre in Yemen to provide field support to international aid organisations with the aim of expediting emergency response to civilian in need,” said Naqbi.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 22 June 2018.