Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will come visit his kababayan (countrymen) in November, his wife, Marie Louise ‘Liza’ Araneta-Marcos, confirmed on Saturday during her meeting with leaders of the Filipino expat community at a hotel in Downtown Dubai.
The visit by Araneta-Marcos to Dubai comes after Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs, made a work visit to Manila early this month. He had a meeting with President Marcos in Malacañang Palace, where the two leaders discussed bilateral relations and ways to boost cooperation. Araneta-Marcos was also present to meet Sheikh Abdullah in Manila.
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
The Philippines and UAE are celebrating 50 years diplomatic and bilateral relations that was established on August 19, 1974.
Meanwhile, Filipino expats are keen to see a sitting Philippine president visit them in the UAE. The last time a Philippine president came to the country was in December 2008 during the time of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Marcos Jr. was supposed to visit the UAE in November last year to attend COP28 but made a last-minute decision to cancel his trip to Dubai, citing “important developments” in the hostage situation involving 17 Filipino seafarers in the Red Sea as the reason then for his decision not to attend the UN climate summit.
He was also scheduled to meet the Filipino community at Dubai World Trade Centre and it would have been the first time in 15 years that a Philippine president would meet their kababayan (countrymen) in the UAE.