While not going into details of the meetings between President Irfaan Ali and Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Juma Al Maktoum of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), government yesterday said that the visit was “extremely successful” and the two sides anticipate cooperation on many fronts.
Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday told Stabroek News that government will soon issue a release outlining details of the three-day visit by the delegation from the UAE but said that “it was extremely successful and the two sides discussed areas of possible cooperation”.
In the initial meeting with President Ali, the UAE team had met with members of the cabinet including: Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd; Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat; Minister of Housing and Water and Minister within the ministry, Collin Croal and Susan Rodrigues; Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha; Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill and other government officials.
The UAE is one of the top oil producing countries globally and is expected to lend assistance to Guyana in oil and gas, among other areas, the release had said.
But this newspaper understands that oil and gas was not the main area of focus of the delegation as that sector only formed “a minor part of the discussions”.
Al Maktoum is the founder of the diversified conglomerate, Africa, Middle East Resource Investment (AMERI Group).
According to the UAE’s Administration Office’s website Sheikh Ahmed Bin Dalmook Juma Al Maktoum’s office “has a portfolio of privately held group companies that focus mainly on Infrastructure Development, Energy Projects, LNG Terminal Development, Commodity & Oil Trading, Water Desalination, Water Recirculation as well as Education and Agricultural Project.”
“We currently own the largest emergency power plant installed in West Africa. The Private Office is undergoing development of over c. 2000 MW of Power Plants across many countries in Africa, Asia and other jurisdiction in the developing regions. We also deliver integrated and unbundled solutions in supplying LNG. With the help of our partnerships, we carry out the business of the complete supply chain of LNG and supplying natural gas,” it added.
