BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Sarawak and Brunei Darussalam are well-positioned to build a more resilient and competitive regional economy by leveraging their complementary strengths.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said Sarawak’s abundant natural resources, renewable energy and vast land complement Brunei’s strengths in halal certification, technology, food processing and international market access, creating opportunities to strengthen growth across the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).
“The combination of these strengths can create a more resilient and competitive regional economy,” he said at the ‘Program Citarasa dan Tautan Budaya Sarawak-Brunei 2026’ event at Dewan Muhibbah, Brunei and Muara District Department on Friday (July 31).
Awang Tengah said Sarawak is accelerating the development of new economic sectors, including downstream oil and gas, the digital economy, renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, aerospace and modern food production through large-scale paddy cultivation and livestock farming in Limbang and Lawas.
He said collaboration in these sectors would boost trade and investment while strengthening food security, creating quality jobs and delivering long-term economic benefits for both territories.
On tourism, he said Brunei’s strong logistics infrastructure and Sarawak’s expanding air connectivity through AirBorneo present opportunities for closer collaboration.
A proposed codeshare partnership between AirBorneo and Royal Brunei Airlines, he added, could widen destination networks and position Brunei as a tourism gateway to the BIMP-EAGA region.
Awang Tengah also identified Miri, Limbang and Lawas as having strong potential to become a cross-border growth corridor through joint border development initiatives with Brunei.
He said Brunei remains one of Sarawak’s key trading partners, with bilateral trade reaching RM1.89 billion in 2025.
Between 2021 and 2025, Sarawak recorded more than RM116 billion in approved investments, reflecting continued investor confidence in the state’s economy, he added.
The programme also witnessed the exchange of several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and Memoranda of Agreement (MoAs) between Sarawak and Brunei companies covering industrial ecosystems, logistics, investment, food, ICT and product distribution, including a collaboration linking Muara Port in Brunei with Kenyalang Smart City in Miri.
Participation in this year’s programme also increased to 116 entrepreneurs, up from 39 last year, involving 50 participants from Sarawak and 66 from Brunei Darussalam.
