Mohammed receives Georgian PM

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on Wednesday received Irakli Garibashvili, Georgia’s Prime Minister, and the members of his delegation at Za'beel Palace.

During the meeting, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid and Garibashvili discussed the bilateral relations between UAE and Georgia and ways of expanding the foundations of their friendship and cooperation relations, in the area of mutual investments in particular.

As they also discussed the political situation in the Caucasus, Prime Minister Garibashvili briefed His highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid on the latest developments in the region and in Georgia in particular.

Prime Minister Garibashvili explained that his country welcomes UAE investments and elaborated on the opportunities offered by Georgia's sectors of mining, water and tourism.

He affirmed his government's desire for attracting investors from UAE for forging feasible investments that benefit both countries.

Noting the importance of enhancing air transport between the two countries in light of flydubai's recent launch of five weekly flights from Dubai to Tbilisi, Garibashvili expressed his hope that the number of these flights will increase in order to enhance the relations and communication between the peoples of the two countries at the economic, tourism and cultural levels in particular.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid welcomed the Georgian prime minister's proposal for building a foundation for joint investments, and stressed that UAE is keen on building solid relations with the other countries and their peoples that are based on common interests, respect, confidence and equal opportunities, particularly in the private sector which plays an effective and important role in the economies of UAE and other countries.

Present at the meeting were Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman of Emirates Group, Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gargawi, Minister for Cabinet Affairs, Dr. Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (Minister of Federal National Council of Affairs), Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemi, Minister of State, Abdullah bin Mohammed Saeed Ghobash, Minister of State and head of the honourary mission accompanying the Georgian prime minister, Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani, Director-General of Dubai Ruler's Court, Khalifa Saeed Sulaiman, Director-General of Protocol and Hospitality Department in Dubai, members of the Georgian delegation and Georgia's Non-resident Ambassador to UAE, Roland Beridze.

Sheikh Mohammed receives founder and CEO of Alibaba Group

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on Wednesday affirmed that the UAE has become the technological hub for more than two billion people in the surrounding regions, as it hosts giant technology corporations, mega technology exhibitions and attracts talented and qualified people from all walks of business.

Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid made his remarks as he received Jack Ma, founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd , the world's biggest group of Internet-based e-commerce businesses, with 22,000 employees in 70 cities, which handled $170 billion in sales in 2012. The Chinese giant includes business-to-business online web portals, online retail and payment services, a shopping search engine and data-centric cloud computing services.

Sheikh Mohammed said that fast-paced technological developments have imposed major changes on business management in both the government and private sectors.

He noted that the UAE has always been at the centre of these changes with which it has been able to keep pace, whether through shifting from traditional government to e-Government and then to Smart Government, or through huge investments in technology in order to provide an optimal environment for businesses in the UAE.

He further noted that the new approach taken by the government mandates the integration of technology with the basic infrastructure of cities in order to transform them into smart cities that make human life easier and better.

Welcoming the Chairman and CEO of Alibaba, Sheikh Mohammed noted that the UAE has heavily involved itself in technology and was among the first countries to invest in a fully integrated infrastructure in order to host Internet City.

The UAE's economy is rated by international reports as one that is based on knowledge and innovation.

He also noted that the UAE welcomes giant technology firms to establish their global centres in the country.

At the meeting, the parties discussed avenues of cooperation between the giant Chinese group and the relevant government bodies in UAE. They also discussed the federal government's Smart Government initiative and government investments in technology.

The UAE now ranks in second place globally in terms of government spending on advanced technology, according to the Global Competitiveness Report, issued by the World Economic Forum (WEF) for 2014.

Ma hailed the advanced architecture, excellent services and advanced infrastructure in the UAE. He noted that the environment that the UAE provides for businesses serves as a model for relations between government and private sectors.

Present at the meeting were Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman of Emirates Group,  Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gargawi, Minister for Cabinet Affairs, Dr Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemi, Minister of State, Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani, Director-General of the Dubai Ruler's Court, Khalifa Saeed Sulaiman, Director-General of the Protocol and Hospitality Department in Dubai, and Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director-General of Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM).

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