Top UAE firms keen to invest in Bangladesh, envoy tells Prof Yunus

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is very keen to invest in Bangladesh's logistics, ports, aviation and renewable energy sectors and the Gulf nation is ready to support the interim government here, the UAE ambassador said on Tuesday.

UAE ambassador in Dhaka Abdulla Ali Abdulla AlHmoudi said this when he called on Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the State Guest House Jamuna in Dhaka.

During the meeting, chief adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus thanked UAE president Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahiyan for releasing 57 Bangladeshi people who were convicted and sentenced by a UAE court recently.

"It was a wonderful gesture. The whole nation was very happy," Prof Yunus said.

He also thanked the UAE government for hosting some one million Bangladeshi migrants.

Ambassador AlHmoudi expressed his government's support for Bangladesh at a "critical time of the country" and said the UAE would stand by the interim government and its pro-business policies and reform agenda.

He said the DP World, one of the world's largest port operators, and Abu Dhabi Ports are very keen to invest in Chattogran port to help boost the country's export competitiveness in the world.

He said Masdar, another top firm in the UAE, is also interested to invest in renewable energy including floating solar projects-- the kind of which it has built in Indonesia.

Prof Yunus said his government has already rolled out business-friendly policies and would be happy to see more investment from the UAE and visit of more Emirati business people to Bangladesh.