Japan’s prime minister visits the UAE as part of a Gulf trip focused on energy and commerce

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited the United Arab Emirates as part of a swing through the Arab Gulf states focused on energy and commerce. On Monday, he met with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the UAE, which will be hosting the COP28 U.N. climate talks later this year. Kishida visited Saudi Arabia over the weekend, and will travel to gas-rich Qatar on Tuesday. Japan is the fifth-largest oil consumer in the world and relies on imports to meet around 97% of its demand. It imports more than 75% of its crude oil from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.