Joint Declaration on occasion of state visit of President of United Arab Emirates to Federal Republic of Germany

Abu Dhabi: At the invitation of the Federal President of the Federal Republic of Germany, His Excellency Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the President of the United Arab Emirates, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, visited Germany from 9 to 11 September 2026. During this first State Visit from a President of the United Arab Emirates to Germany, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan also met His Excellency Friedrich Merz, Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany. The leaders acknowledged that the State Visit takes place at a defining moment for both countries and for the wider international order. Amid heightened regional and geopolitical volatility, both sides underscored the growing importance of reliable, like-minded partners, and affirmed their determination to stand together in defense of the international order. The State Visit reemphasized that the German-UAE partnership is propelled by the shared commitment to peace, security, economic prosperity, the development and use of future technologies, and sustainable development. During the State Visit, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced the establishment of a Strategic Dialogue format, intended to re-vitalize the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, founded in 2004. The Strategic Dialogue will steer the progress of deepened cooperation across multiple sectors including international and regional security, defense, trade and investment, energy and climate, emerging technology, digitalization, economy, transportation, environment, culture and education and ensure that concrete outcomes for mutual benefit will be achieved. They affirmed that the Strategic Dialogue represents a lasting investment in the relationship, providing the structure through which that vision will be translated into sustained, concrete cooperation. The leaders acknowledged that the State Visit takes place at a defining moment for both countries and for the wider international order. Picture credit: Abdulla Al Neyadi/UAE Presidential Court The two sides affirmed their commitment to deepening bilateral trade and investment ties and expanding cooperation across priority sectors. As a concrete expression of that commitment, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Excellency Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz welcomed the signing of a Joint Declaration of Intent (JDoI) on the establishment of the German-UAE Investment Council as a platform to advance investments and strengthen engagement between the public and private sectors. They also welcomed the outcomes of the UAE-Germany Business Forum, as well as the resumption of the Joint Economic Committee, underlining their support for closer economic co-operation, investments, and joint projects. In particular, both leaders welcomed the signing of 29 business-to-business MoUs and agreements between UAE and German companies, with a total value exceeding EUR 9.356 billion, reflecting the growing depth of private-sector cooperation between the two countries. The two leaders welcomed the announcement of a UAE investment package totaling EUR 40 billion in Germany, reflecting the shared ambition of both countries to deepen their strategic partnership and the UAE’s confidence in Germany as a leading destination for investment, innovation and industrial growth. The package is expected to contribute to strengthening industrial competitiveness, advancing technological leadership and supporting long-term economic growth in Germany. The package includes investments in advanced digital infrastructure, including the development of new state-of-the-art data centres with a capacity of approximately 1 GW. Germany underscored its commitment to fostering a favourable environment for their implementation. Beyond the EUR 40 billion package, the two leaders also welcomed plans for further corporate investments and partnerships between UAE and German companies, including initiatives involving Covestro, RWE, ADNOC and Masdar. These initiatives build on the strong foundation of existing UAE investments in Germany, including XRG’s approximately EUR 15 billion investment in Covestro, and underscore the growing depth and ambition of the economic relationship between the two countries. Both sides acknowledged the continued growth in the bilateral non-oil trade, which reached USD 15.5 billion in 2025, an increase of over 14% compared to 2024, while cumulative investment flows between the two countries exceeded USD 10 billion over the 2021-2025 period. They further welcomed progress in the negotiations on the UAE-EU Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. The UAE is currently negotiating with the EU, the world’s largest internal market, the terms of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Germany and the UAE support reaching a comprehensive, commercially ambitious agreement. The strengthening of the EU-UAE bilateral trade relations through a comprehensive and ambitious FTA w