Germany and the UAE Revitalize Their Strategic Partnership

That Comes at just the Right Time! Germany Strengthens Partnership with the UAE

2026-09-11 Source: dpa 2 min Reading Time

After 20 years, Germany and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Want to Revitalize the Strategic Partnership They Once Established ...

Germany and the United Arab Emirates have signed an agreement to stand shoulder to shoulder in times of crisis. This will bring Germany many billions, to say the least. From left: Sheikh Mohammed bin Sajed al-Nahjan and Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz.(Image: dpa / K. Nietfeld) — Germany and the United Arab Emirates have signed an agreement to stand shoulder to shoulder in times of crisis. This will bring Germany many billions, to say the least. From left: Sheikh Mohammed bin Sajed al-Nahjan and Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
(Image: dpa / K. Nietfeld)

Chancellor Friedrich Merz (Germany) (CDU) and the President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed bin Sajid, agreed in Berlin to strengthen cooperation with the UAE. According to a joint statement, the goal is to deepen cooperation in areas such as international and regional security, defense, trade and investment, energy and climate, new technologies, digitalization, the economy, transportation, the environment, culture, and education. Sheikh Mohammed is currently in Germany for a two-day state visit. In the joint statement, both sides reaffirmed that, above all, enhanced cooperation in the defense sector and in defense technology will constitute a central pillar of their relations. A memorandum of understanding on police and security cooperation was also signed. This is to be expanded beyond a mere supplier-recipient relationship into a more comprehensive, strategic partnership.

UAE Doubles Investment Volume in Germany

At the same time, the Emirates announced that they would invest an additional 40 billion euros in Germany. This brings the Gulf state’s total investment in the German economy to date to approximately

34 billion euros ($39.44 billion)—more than double the previous amount, according to the report. During the visit, 29 business agreements between German and Emirati companies were reportedly signed, with a total value of nearly 9.4 billion euros ($10.9 billion). Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier had welcomed the guest from the Gulf state with military honors that morning. This is the first-ever state visit by a president of the United Arab Emirates to Germany. In these difficult times, the visit comes at just the right moment.

The Right Partners in Times of Crisis

The desire on both sides to deepen their relations is, not least, a response to new crises around the world, such as the war in Iran, into which the United Arab Emirates has also been drawn. Both countries are seeking new political, economic, and military allies or aim to expand existing partnerships. The goal is to reduce dependencies. At a state banquet that evening, the Federal President made it clear that Germany wants to be a reliable partner for the Emirates in times of crisis. Steinmeier praised the UAE for its impressive economic development, particularly with regard to the transformation of its economy from oil and gas to sustainable technologies and renewable energy. Not least because of its great potential in the field of hydrogen, the UAE is an exciting partner.

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