Canada-United Arab Emirates relations
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Bilateral relations
The year 2024 marked the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Canada and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Over the past five decades, Canada and the UAE have built a strong and diverse partnership focused on creating prosperity for both societies, strengthening regional and global security, supporting economic and social development in third countries—including empowering women and girls—and fostering closer people-to-people connections.
Building on this foundation, Prime Minister Mark Carney visited the UAE on November 20, 2025, the first visit by a Canadian Prime Minister in more than 40 years, underscoring the deepening ties between the two countries. During this visit, Prime Minister Carney and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the UAE, released a joint statement reaffirming their commitment to advancing cooperation across trade, investment, energy, food security, innovation, and regional security and stability.
Historically, Canada–UAE engagement centered on economic cooperation, notably through the Canada–UAE Business Council. This relationship took a major step forward with the signing of the Joint Committee for Cooperation (JC) Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on July 6, 2022. This agreement established the first formal framework to deepen bilateral ties and expand collaboration in areas such as trade and investment, defence and security, and agriculture and energy. Similarly, a development cooperation MoU signed in 2014 enables both countries to advance shared goals in poverty reduction, sustainable development, good governance, and human rights.
In 2022, the UAE appointed His Excellency Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori as the Foreign Minister’s Envoy to Canada to strengthen trade and investment relations, and coordinate work on shared priorities. The visit to Canada on June 19–20, 2025, by the UAE’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, reaffirmed both countries’ commitment to expanding cooperation in trade, investment, innovation, people-to-people ties, international development, and regional peace and security. Building on their leadership in technology, Canada and the UAE signed an MoU in October 2025 to boost collaboration in artificial intelligence and data center infrastructure, paving the way for greater investment and knowledge exchange.
Canada and the UAE have also partnered on humanitarian efforts, including Canada’s commitment to resettle vulnerable Afghans. A Letter of Cooperation signed in April 2023 supported the processing and resettlement of Canada-bound Afghan refugees housed in Emirates Humanitarian City.
Today, an estimated 60,000 Canadians live and work in the UAE. Canada is represented by its Embassy in Abu Dhabi and Consulate General in Dubai, while the UAE maintains its Embassy in Ottawa.
Trade relations
Canada and the UAE have a positive and growing trade and investment relationship.
Abu Dhabi and Dubai overwhelmingly drive the UAE’s economy, accounting for 90% of national GDP. The country offers one of the most liberal trade and investment regimes in the region, attracting significant capital flows, especially through special economic zones such as Abu Dhabi Global Markets and Dubai International Financial Centre.
In 2024, Canada’s two-way merchandise trade with the UAE was valued at $3.4 billion, with $2.6 billion in exports and $800.2 million in imports. Canadian exports rose by 24% year-over-year, following a 14% rise between 2022 and 2023, indicating a sustained upward trend in trade activity.
Canada’s leading merchandise exports to the UAE were aerospace products (19%), motor vehicles and parts (16%), and vegetables (11%). Products made from iron and steel accounted for 24% of Canada’s imports from the UAE, followed by iron and steel itself (23%) and aluminum (8%).
Commercial services trade is an important element of the trading relationship, with bilateral commercial services trade totaling $388 million in 2023.
The UAE has a range of sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) with assets under management valued at over $2 trillion. It is using these funds to further diversify its economy away from fossil fuels, creating partnership opportunities for Canadian companies working in energy, information and communications technologies, infrastructure, healthcare, retail, education and other sectors. Those funds have already deployed significant capital in Canada.
During the Prime Minister’s visit to the UAE in November 2025, Prime Minister Carney and His Highness Sheikh Al Nayhan signed the Canada-UAE Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA), which establishes clearer rules and protections for investors and creates a more predictable environment for two-way investment. Once in force, the FIPA will support long-term partnerships between Canadian and UAE industries, attract capital to nation-building projects, and help create high-paying careers for workers.
Canada and the UAE also announced their intention to launch negotiations towards a bilateral free trade agreement known as the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) during this same visit.
More than 150 Canadian companies have an operational presence in the UAE.
Canadian companies are supported by:
Operations
A number of Canadian government departments and institutions collaborate with their Emirati counterparts to advance joint interests, including through a Defence Cooperation Arrangement, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the RCMP and the Abu Dhabi Police, and an MOU between the Canadian Space Agency and the UAE Space Agency. Cooperation continues between Public Safety and the UAE Ministry of Interior to strengthen collaboration on police, corrections, border issues and training opportunities. A Joint Consular Cooperation Committee, established in June 2018, meets regularly to enhance coordination on consular affairs and discuss consular matters.
Partnerships 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:
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