The UAE is to invest €40B ($46.47B) in Germany in a long-term commitment to Europe’s biggest economy, with capital targeting strategic sectors including industry, advanced technology, artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure and energy.
The investment commitment was announced as UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin on Thursday in a UAE state visit to the Federal Republic.
Overall €10B will be invested in Bavaria, representing a quarter of the planned commitment.
The agreements also include the establishment of a UAE-German Investment Council and the launch of a Strategic Dialogue between the two countries, creating new frameworks for investment and broader economic co-operation.
Sheikh Mohamed said: “The UAE-Germany partnership spans economic, cultural and people-to-people ties, and we are committed to building on these foundations to deliver lasting opportunities for our nations and peoples.”
Investment and Strategic Co-operation
The Strategic Dialogue includes a 12-point plan covering areas ranging from crime and justice co-operation to data centres and information systems.
The agreement also identifies access to Berlin Brandenburg Airport as a key priority.
The issue is significant for Emirates, which has sought to serve the German capital’s main airport for years. The Dubai-based airline currently operates flights to Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Munich while a 1994 ruling prevents it from serving additional German airports without dropping an existing service.
The dialogue document also includes a UAE commitment to invest in data centres in Germany, highlighting the growing importance of digital infrastructure within the bilateral economic relationship.
A Long Term Partnership
The UAE views its relationship with Germany as a long-term strategic partnership built on more than 50 years of co-operation, trust and mutual interests, Sheikh Mohamed said.
The Strategic Dialogue would provide a new framework for the wide-ranging UAE-Germany partnership, he added.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said co-operation between the UAE and Germany is guided by a shared commitment to promoting a safer, more stable and prosperous future for coming generations.
Building on €34B Invested
Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, said the announcements were a testament to the UAE’s policy of investing for the future.
“Germany has been an important strategic and economic partner for decades and the additional €40B intended investment reflects our ambition to invest in that relationship for the years ahead,” Dr Sultan said.
“Building on the €34B the UAE has already invested in Germany, we will support the industries, technologies and skilled jobs that will drive future growth and competitiveness. For Germany, it will bring long-term investment that reinforces competitiveness and creates jobs, supporting industrial capacity, innovation and skilled employment; strengthening energy security and supply chains; and helping German businesses continue to compete and grow internationally,” the Dr said.
The investment and creation of the new council will also bring German industrial capabilities into the UAE’s growing economic platform, Dr Al Jaber said.
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