Minister of Foreign Affairs Moosa Zameer has concluded his official visit to the Kingdom of Bahrain. The visit, undertaken at the invitation of Bahrain’s Foreign Minister, Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, featured a series of high-level meetings aimed at strengthening cooperation in key sectors, particularly tourism and telecommunications.
A highlight of the visit was Minister Zameer’s meeting with Bahrain’s Minister of Tourism and Chairman of the Tourism and Exhibitions Authority, Fatima bint Jaffar Al Sairafi. The two ministers engaged in extensive discussions on enhancing cooperation in the tourism sector, with Minister Fatima commending the resilience and success of the Maldives’ tourism industry. The dialogue also explored potential investment opportunities within the Maldivian tourism sector, further solidifying the partnership between the two nations.
In addition to tourism, Minister Zameer’s visit included significant discussions on advancing the digital and telecommunications landscape in the Maldives, particularly through collaboration with Bahrain Telecommunications Company (Batelco). As the majority shareholder of Dhiraagu, the leading telecommunications provider in the Maldives, Batelco plays a crucial role in the country’s telecommunications infrastructure. The discussions with Batelco focused on areas of collaboration to enhance digital services in the Maldives, particularly in the realm of cybersecurity, where Batelco and Dhiraagu already established a partnership in 2022 to strengthen the Maldives’ cyber defences.
This meeting is particularly significant given Batelco’s majority stake in Dhiraagu, which enables it to influence the development and innovation in the Maldivian telecommunications sector. The partnership between Batelco and Dhiraagu is crucial in driving digital transformation in the Maldives, ensuring that the country remains competitive and secure in an increasingly digital world.
Minister Zameer’s official engagements also included a meeting with senior officials from the Bahrain Economic Development Board, where they exchanged ideas on increasing business-to-business interactions and prospects for economic diversification and investment promotion.
As Minister Zameer departs Manama, the outcomes of his visit signal a renewed commitment to deepening bilateral ties and exploring new avenues for collaboration, particularly in tourism and telecommunications, which are vital to the economic growth and security of the Maldives.
