Maldives and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have explored expanding defense cooperation.

Maldives Defense Minister Mariya Ahmed Didi has met with the UAE's Chief of Staff of Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Engineer Issa Saif bin Ablan Al Mazrouei. She met with the UAE's Chief of Staff of Armed Forces, on the margins of the International Defense Exhibition (IDEX 2023) on Friday.

During the meeting, Minister Mariya and Lieutenant General Engineer Issa emphasized on the significance of global defense exhibits such as IDEX due to the remarkable international presence they attract, including decision-makers and defense specialists.

Furthermore, Minister Mariya and the Lieutenant General Engineer, agreed that defense cooperation is essential for long-term peace. As such, both the parties discussed expanding the two countries' defense relations.

After the meeting, the Maldivian Minister, noted that she had a productive meeting with Lieutenant General Engineer Issa. She highlighted that discussions were held on cooperation being the key to lasting peace.

Minister Mariya also said that she was quite impressed by the many new products on display at the Defense Exhibition.