Page 124 - KHALIFA FUND PR REPORT MAY 2025

5/9/25, 2:09 PM Abu Dhabi start-ups exhibit tech-driven products at Tokyo global conference | The National
"I visited Abu Dhabi at UAE in early 70s, can you imagine even before His Excellency was born," she said, garnering a
reaction from the audience.

"It was very tiny village, living in fishery and producing pearls. Yeah, I remember the old days. But what a big
development done in the last, say, 20 years. It's another country. It's really a miracle to develop such a wonderful
village and such an international, competitive country," she said.

In a separate Tokyo event on the same day, called Business Connect, Mr Al Zaabi participated in the signing of a
series of trade deals with Japanese companies.

"Our investments in Japan have more than doubled over the past five years, and our country attracted over 80 per
cent of Japanese investments in the Middle East," he said in his opening address.

Mr Al Zaabi described UAE-Japan relations at the cusp of a new chapter, bolstered by the anticipated free-trade
agreement expected to be finalised this year to increase trade and investment flow.

Updated: May 08, 2025, 6:31 PM

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