saudi arabia on course in big maldives investment program
Last Updated : GMT 09:03:51
Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today
Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today
Last Updated : GMT 09:03:51
Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today

Saudi Arabia on course in big Maldives investment program

Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today

Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today Saudi Arabia on course in big Maldives investment program

Saudi Arabia on course in big Maldives investment program
New York - Al Maghrib Today

Speaking on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York last week, Mohamed Shainee said that relations between the Republic of Maldives and Saudi Arabia are “at their best for a very long time” — and he should know.
Shainee is the Maldives minister for fisheries and agriculture, two important parts of the economy of the string of 1,100 islands and atolls that make up Asia’s smallest country.
But he is also charged with a special responsibility for matters relating to Saudi Arabia, he said, and has accompanied the Maldives President Abdulla Yameen on several official visits to the Kingdom.
“King Salman visited our country when he was still crown prince in 2013, and there has been a close relationship ever since that. We have some things in common — we are two of the most predominantly Islamic countries in the world, with very high proportions of Muslims in the population. Since he came, there has been a very good exchange of ideas and understandings,” Shainee said.

Saudis are attracted by the Maldives’ balmy tropical climate and its beaches, considered among the finest in the world and a lure for tourists of every nationality. But the relationship has also blossomed into a stronger economic partnership, with Saudi Arabia increasingly playing the part of investor in and developer of the Maldives’ economy.
The Kingdom has been a benefactor to the Maldives for some time, putting money into the building of an airport in the 1970s, along with other development work like sewage and water supply, and helping meet the bill for reconstruction of the islands’ infrastructure after the devastation caused by the 2004 tsunami, in which Shainee was very personally involved.
Official figures show that assistance from Saudi Arabia totalled nearly SR300 million ($80 million) up to 2010, but this has accelerated since, with SR722 million pledged since for hospitals and other development.
By far the biggest chunk will go on the planned upgrade to Velana International Airport, where a $357 million contract has been awarded to the Saudi Binladin contracting group.
The airport upgrade is vital for the Maldives’ future because, regardless of the importance of fisheries and agriculture sectors in Shainee’s portfolio, tourism is by far the biggest part of the islands’ economy, accounting for about 30 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) and 60 percent of foreign exchange earnings.
Work begins on the project later this year, and when it is completed it will allow the airport to cater for up to 7 million people a year, compared with 1.5 million now. By comparison, the native population of the islands is about 350,000 people.
The airport development is a central part of an economic strategy that also envisages the creation — with Saudi support — of special economic zones, to encourage businesses like shipping and finance, that have not previously been a feature of economic life there. Tourism-related activities in these zones will be kept to a maximum of 20 percent.
Chinese investors have also been active in the islands, leading some commentators to claim there is a “race” between Saudi Arabia and China to develop the Maldives’ economy and have influence in the affairs of the strategically important islands, in the Indian Ocean between India and Africa.
Shainee said the country’s investment authorities would choose on the basis of whichever was best for the country. “Maldivans are very nationalistic,” he said.
There were allegations of protectionist motives on the part of some Maldivans earlier this year, when a $10 billion Saudi project to develop the Faafu Atoll was put on hold. The opposition said that the atoll had been “sold” to Saudi Arabia, but Shainee pointed out that the land would have remained under Maldives’ laws and sovereignty, and would have been developed with social, medical and educational facilities, for the benefit of the country.
Business people from the Arabian Gulf are already active in the Maldives’ hotel industry, with luxury property owned or run by the Four Seasons, Jumeirah and One & Only groups, in conjunction with local partners.
Apart from development, the other vital issue, in which Shainee also has a special interest, is the environment. The islands are among the lowest inhabited places on earth, with an average height of only 1.5 meters above sea level, and the inhabitants of the populated 187 islands face constant threat from rising sea levels.
The Maldives was among the first countries to bring the issue of rising sea levels to world attention in the 1980s, but Shainee is optimistic that solutions to the seemingly intractable problem are at hand.
“Climate change is of course a very serious issue, but I do not think we can worry too much about rising sea levels. It is true that we are very low lying, but look at the Netherlands. There a lot of the country is below sea level, but it has survived,” Shainee said.
He is hoping that the Maldives can promote its own kind of solution to environmental problems from the international stage. The country has been on the UN human rights and climate change councils in the past, and is currently lobbying to join the powerful UN Security Council. The country also chairs the international Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS).
Shainee believes that there are other things that can be done to alleviate the effect of rising sea levels. “It is essential to promote healthy oceans and sustainable fisheries, which gives the coral and sea life a change to adapt to the new environment,” he added.
He was speaking from the heart. He is the son and grandson of fishermen, and began his career as a fisherman before entering government service. Shainee retains a close affinity with the oceanic world, and is proud of his postgraduate work in Norway and Canada in new techniques for fisheries protection. The Maldives is a leading member of the UN coalition to save shark species, and has declared the islands a no-fishing zone for endangered sharks.
In the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami, when 80 percent of the islands had been underwater and 60 percent of the economy was affected, Shainee was charged with distributing financial aid to parts of the far-flung islands by boat and sea-plane, with a suitcase full of currency handcuffed to his wrist.
“The islands were very badly affected, but there was a comparatively low loss of life. We are a seafaring people and we knew instinctively what to do,” he said.

Source: Arab News

almaghribtoday
almaghribtoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

saudi arabia on course in big maldives investment program saudi arabia on course in big maldives investment program

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

saudi arabia on course in big maldives investment program saudi arabia on course in big maldives investment program

 



Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today Skincare PR Performance Full Year 2017

GMT 09:22 2018 Monday ,22 January

Skincare PR Performance Full Year 2017
Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today New hunt for flight MH370 gets under way

GMT 11:03 2018 Wednesday ,24 January

New hunt for flight MH370 gets under way
Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today Modern colorful bedroom renovation

GMT 10:57 2017 Thursday ,21 December

Modern colorful bedroom renovation
Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today Puigdemont candidate for Catalan president

GMT 13:56 2018 Tuesday ,23 January

Puigdemont candidate for Catalan president
Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today Turkey detains dozens more

GMT 10:47 2018 Wednesday ,24 January

Turkey detains dozens more
Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today The Rake announces editorial updates

GMT 10:46 2018 Tuesday ,16 January

The Rake announces editorial updates
Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today Europe brings on charm and blue skies

GMT 11:51 2018 Tuesday ,23 January

Europe brings on charm and blue skies
Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today For the Variety of Interior Design Styles

GMT 10:46 2017 Tuesday ,19 December

For the Variety of Interior Design Styles
Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today US Christian tourists see deep meaning

GMT 13:44 2018 Monday ,22 January

US Christian tourists see deep meaning
Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today Amazon to open first cashierless shop

GMT 10:03 2018 Tuesday ,23 January

Amazon to open first cashierless shop

GMT 19:45 2017 Wednesday ,25 January

Israeli Navy Attacks Palestinian Fishermen Off Gaza

GMT 20:31 2017 Wednesday ,19 April

Dozens of casualties reported in Aleppo blast

GMT 13:25 2016 Thursday ,10 November

Drought-hit Zimbabwe farmers look

GMT 05:59 2015 Sunday ,06 September

Apple event expected to focus on iPhones, TV

GMT 10:49 2013 Thursday ,28 March

Egyptian broadcasters angry at government meddling

GMT 23:19 2017 Tuesday ,02 May

Interior Minister receives Atlantic Council CEO

GMT 09:13 2012 Monday ,29 October

Women may add 10 years by quitting smoking

GMT 13:30 2011 Thursday ,28 July

Man United outclass MLS All-Stars 4-0

GMT 21:18 2011 Tuesday ,09 August

Undersea volcano eruption was predicted

GMT 17:18 2015 Friday ,09 January

Cyprus Airways flights terminated after EU ruling

GMT 07:46 2013 Tuesday ,02 July

US diplomat Burns supports stability in Lebanon

GMT 15:21 2015 Friday ,08 May

8-year-old boy smuggled to Spain in suitcase

GMT 18:27 2011 Friday ,09 December

Amanbagh beautifully proportioned modern-day

GMT 14:45 2016 Saturday ,17 December

Iranian soccer league standings

GMT 05:50 2015 Wednesday ,25 March

Spin or seam? India confident of passing Sydney test

GMT 22:32 2015 Wednesday ,21 January

KPC's al-Adsani stresses Gulf region as hydrocarbon hub

GMT 11:41 2014 Saturday ,11 January

Rich world of fish biofluorescence illiuminated
Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today
 
 Almaghrib Today Facebook,almaghrib today facebook  Almaghrib Today Twitter,almaghrib today twitter Almaghrib Today Rss,almaghrib today rss  Almaghrib Today Youtube,almaghrib today youtube  Almaghrib Today Youtube,almaghrib today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

.almaghribtoday .almaghribtoday .almaghribtoday .almaghribtoday
almaghribtoday almaghribtoday almaghribtoday
almaghribtoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
almaghribtoday, Almaghribtoday, Almaghribtoday