Germany and UAE Forge Stronger Strategic Partnership with Multi-Billion Euro Agreements

Germany and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are set to deepen their strategic partnership significantly following the visit of UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to Berlin. Several agreements worth billions of euros are expected to be signed, covering areas such as foreign policy, security, energy, environmental cooperation, crime prevention, and investments, including AI data centers.

The UAE, Germany's most important trading partner in the Gulf region, recorded a bilateral trade volume of approximately 13 billion euros in 2025, with Germany enjoying a significant export surplus of 9 billion euros — 11 billion euros in exports versus 2 billion euros in imports.

Lana Nusseibeh, a state minister in the UAE’s foreign ministry, highlighted the evolution of the Emirati-German partnership from shared intentions to joint actions, emphasizing that stronger ties could link Europe's industrial and technological capabilities with capital and growth opportunities in the Gulf, Asia, and Africa.

Key developments include plans for a mutual legal assistance treaty in criminal matters and intensified security cooperation. Additionally, a strategic dialogue on foreign policy, energy, economy, and environment will be established, accompanied by the creation of a German-UAE investment council.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz had already agreed in February to foster closer relations with the UAE and the Gulf region, leading to eased German arms export restrictions in March in response to evolving regional dynamics, as noted by Emirati advisor Anwar Gargash, who remarked that "previous restrictions have now been overtaken by events."

These agreements mark a new phase in German-UAE relations, enhancing economic, political, and security cooperation amid shifting global and regional challenges.