BERLIN, GERMANY / RankWire.AI / – During a state visit to Berlin, the United Arab Emirates and Germany announced the launch of a Strategic Dialogue and agreed to create a bilateral Investment Council. UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz attended the event where they unveiled 12 government-level agreements, memoranda and declarations. These accords encompass areas such as investment, energy, technology, aviation, security, legal cooperation, environmental issues, data systems, and cultural exchange. They serve to enhance the existing framework of the UAE-Germany Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, initiated in 2004.
The Strategic Dialogue aims to facilitate collaboration across sectors including regional security, defense, trade, investment, energy, climate change, digital transformation, transportation, education, and emerging technologies. Both nations also signed a declaration of intent to establish the German-UAE Investment Council, which will serve as a platform for engaging both public and private sectors on investment initiatives. Additionally, officials revived the Joint Economic Committee, strengthening the formal channels for bilateral economic and commercial discussions.
Among the government agreements are new arrangements for air transport access for UAE national carriers at Berlin Airport. The accords also promote cooperation on passenger processing, crime prevention, and mutual legal assistance in criminal cases. Separate documents address cooperation in defense and security, environmental policies, data hosting, and information systems. Both countries committed to further expanding energy collaboration and signed a memorandum on cultural cooperation.
Economic implications of the investment initiative
The visit resulted in a UAE investment package worth €40 billion for Germany, focusing on advanced digital infrastructure and plans for new data centers with a total capacity of approximately 1 gigawatt. UAE and German companies also signed 29 business agreements and memoranda valued at over €9.356 billion. These commercial arrangements complement the government accords announced during the visit, broadening the scope of bilateral economic engagement.
Trade and investment figures highlight the strength of existing economic ties. Non-oil trade between UAE and Germany reached $15.5 billion in 2025, reflecting an increase of more than 14% compared to the previous year. Investment flows between the two countries exceeded $10 billion from 2021 to 2025. Both governments also discussed ongoing negotiations for a comprehensive trade agreement between the UAE and the European Union.
Expansion of energy, technological, and transportation collaborations
The investment agenda includes ongoing corporate projects involving Covestro, RWE, ADNOC, and Masdar. Notably, existing UAE-linked investments in Germany include XRG’s approximately €15 billion investment in Covestro. The governments also identified key areas such as liquefied natural gas, renewable energy, and hydrogen as priorities for continued energy cooperation. Their agreements also cover digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and other advanced technological sectors as part of their broader bilateral cooperation framework.
Spanning from September 9 to September 11, this visit marks the first time a UAE president has made a state visit to Germany. Discussions in Berlin included topics such as economic cooperation, technological advancement, energy, culture, education, and regional issues. The establishment of the Strategic Dialogue, Investment Council, and related agreements provides both governments with new formal mechanisms to manage and deepen their partnership. Collectively, the measures announced encompass policy initiatives, investments, private sector agreements, transportation access, and major infrastructure developments.