RRI.CO.ID, Banda Aceh – The Aceh Provincial Administration and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are exploring opportunities for cooperation in aviation and global trade.

At a meeting on Monday, April 27, 2026, at the UAE Ambassador’s residence in East Kuningan, South Jakarta, Aceh Governor Muzakir Manaf (commonly known as Mualem) and UAE Ambassador Abdulla Salem Al-Dhaheri agreed to form a special team that will begin work in May 2026.

The team will accelerate cooperation in investment, trade, and the establishment of direct flight routes.

“Governor Mualem and the UAE Ambassador have formed an investment team that will begin work in May 2026,” Aceh Administration Spokesperson Nurlis Effendi said in a statement received in Banda Aceh on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

During the meeting, Governor Mualem outlined several investment opportunities for UAE investors in Aceh, including oil and gas, mining, and palm oil processing plants. He also highlighted Aceh’s diverse economic potential, ranging from energy resources to downstream processing of plantation products.

Unique commodities such as patchouli oil and agarwood were promoted as raw materials for the perfume industry, which has a strong market in the Middle East. Coconut derivative products, including coconut oil, coconut flour, charcoal briquettes, and coconut fiber, were also presented as export opportunities.

In addition, Aceh offers prospects in renewable energy, such as wood pellet-based biomass and activated carbon from coconut waste.

The UAE Ambassador welcomed the governor’s invitation to invest and strengthen trade relations. Emirates and Etihad have expressed interest in opening representative offices and operating flight routes from Aceh to the UAE and Saudi Arabia, particularly to serve Aceh’s Umrah pilgrims.

The UAE government has previously demonstrated its commitment to supporting Aceh’s development by assisting with post-disaster recovery, including housing construction, road infrastructure improvements, and agricultural land revitalization.

UAE-based energy company Mubadala Energy has reaffirmed its plan to invest in building a shorebase logistics facility to support exploration of the Andaman Block in Aceh. ***