Canada-United Arab Emirates relations

Canada’s areas of action

Bilateral relationship

Canada and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have a broad and deep relationship focused principally on building prosperity for both our societies, strengthening regional and global security, contributing to economic and social development in third countries, including empowering women and girls and deepening people to people ties. Canada is represented in the UAE at our Embassy in Abu Dhabi and Consulate General in Dubai. The UAE is represented at its embassy in Ottawa.

Trade relationship

The UAE is Canada’s largest export market in the Middle East and North Africa, and is Canada’s 16th largest export market globally. Canadian merchandise exports reached a record of $1.6 billion in 2017. Canadian companies are supported by:

• The Canadian Trade Commissioner Service
• Export Development Canada
• The Canadian Commercial Corporation

Trade and investment agreements

Trade and investment agreements involving Canada and the United Arab Emirates:

• Canada-United Arab Emirates Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement Negotiations
• World Trade Organization Agreement on Trade Facilitation (TFA)
• Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)
• Agreement on Trade-related Investment Measures (TRIMS)
• General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (GATT)
• General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS)
• World Trade Organization Information Technology Agreement (ITA)

For more information, consult trade and investment agreements.

Operations

Canada and the UAE are partners in combatting international terrorism, including the fight against Daesh. Canada and the UAE work together to counter violent extremism, including through Canada’s membership on the International Steering Board of the UAE-based Hedayah Centre. Canada and the UAE have committed to sign a Defence Cooperation Arrangement to support further military cooperation.

Partners and organizations

To develop effective responses to today’s most pressing global challenges, Canada and the United Arab Emirates work closely in multilateral fora, such as:

• La Francophonie
• International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
• Pacific Alliance
• United Nations (UN)
• United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
• World Trade Organization (WTO)