Europe · 09 September, 2026 · 2 min read
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Begins State Visit to Germany, Meeting Steinmeier and Chancellor Merz
UAE President begins state visit to Germany to deepen strategic partnership. He will meet Steinmeier and Merz to discuss bilateral ties.
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UAE President in Berlin
UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan begins a state visit to the Federal Republic of Germany on Wednesday, September 9, with meetings planned with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
“begins a state visit to the Federal Republic of Germany on Wednesday, September 9”
The visit is framed as part of the strategic partnership between the UAE and Germany, which was crowned by a Strategic Partnership declaration in 2004 after diplomatic relations began in 1972.
WAM says the two sides will also review developments in regional and international issues of mutual interest, while economic expert Jamal Al-Jarwan argues the visit carries significance beyond the traditional bilateral framework.
Al-Jarwan links that significance to economic complementarity, saying Germany has technology, advanced industry, and expertise in clean energy, water, mobility, and space, while the UAE provides capital, energy security, and a location that serves as a platform for Gulf, Asian, and African markets.
Deals, trade, and investment
WELT reports that during the visit, between 40 and 45 government-to-government and business agreements are expected to be signed, with investments in the billions into the German economy and opportunities for German companies in the Emirates.
In the same WELT interview, Lana Nusseibeh says the UAE faced more than 3,000 drone and rocket attacks from Iran, and she points to the visit of Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz in February and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in March as a “very valuable sign of support.”
Dubai Eye 103.8 quotes UAE Ambassador to Germany Ahmed Al Attar saying the state visit opens up broad opportunities to further strengthen and elevate bilateral cooperation.
Al Attar also says bilateral trade has surpassed $15.7 billion, with German imports from the UAE increasing by more than 50 per cent in 2025, and that nearly 2,000 German companies now operate within the UAE.
EU-UAE free trade push
Nusseibeh tells WELT that the UAE and Europe are “mutually significant trading partners,” with the UAE described as a gateway to the Middle East and Europe as a huge economic area.
“negotiating ambitiously with the EU on a free trade agreement that should be concluded within the next six months”
She says the UAE is negotiating ambitiously with the EU on a free trade agreement that should be concluded within the next six months, and adds that talks with the EU have been ongoing for almost a year.
In the same WELT interview, Nusseibeh says the UAE and Germany are also discussing broader security cooperation, including freedom of navigation and open sea routes, and she cites that the UAE’s armed forces were able to intercept 95 to 97 percent of Iranian drones and missiles.
The National reports that bilateral trade between the two countries exceeded Dh57 billion ($15.52 billion) last year and that German imports from the UAE increased by more than 50 per cent, while it also says an estimated 2,000 German businesses have set up office in the UAE.