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Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan launched a new strategic partnership during the crown prince’s first ever visit to Canada according to a release from the Prime Minister’s Office. The agreement establishes a long term framework for cooperation in economic ties energy technology education defence diplomacy and cultural exchange building on a year of rapid bilateral progress. Ministers from both countries signed supporting pacts on free trade clean power infrastructure and diplomatic training as immediate steps in the enhanced relationship.
The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement was signed after negotiations concluded in a record 47 days the fastest either country has achieved for such a deal a government statement said. According to the Prime Minister’s Office the pact will cut or remove tariffs on over 99 per cent of current Canadian exports to the UAE while addressing non tariff barriers and expanding market access in sectors ranging from agriculture and aerospace to environmental services and engineering. Government figures show two way merchandise trade reached 3.5 billion dollars last year with the new agreement expected to double that volume to seven billion dollars over the next decade in line with outcomes from Canada’s similar pacts with South Korea and Chile.
The meetings produced significant advances on the UAE’s historic commitment to invest 70 billion dollars in Canada which was first announced during Carney’s visit to Abu Dhabi in November 2025 the Prime Minister’s Office reported. International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu said the funds could flow into mining logistics energy and digital technology with Emirati partners actively preparing deployments in the near term. The investment represents a strong vote of confidence in the Canadian economy and will support high paying jobs across strategic sectors a government assessment found.
Emirati multinational DP World signed an agreement with the Arctic Gateway Group and CentrePort Canada to develop a new transportation corridor connecting the Port of Churchill the Hudson Bay Railway and CentrePort Canada the release from the Prime Minister’s Office detailed. Renewable energy developer Masdar reached an accord with Natural Resources Canada to pursue green energy projects while Invest in Canada and the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry committed to information sharing and coordinated business visits. These concrete steps illustrate how the strategic partnership is translating high level commitments into tangible commercial outcomes.
Carney described the deepening ties as a reflection of shared scale and ambition in both nations. “The UAE and Canada are building big. Our scale and ambition are reflected in our deepening relationship,” he said in the official statement. “In less than a year we have put an investment protection agreement in force negotiated and signed a trade agreement in record time and turned a historic 70 billion commitment into real investments in Canadian energy infrastructure and technology.”
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand noted that the CEPA combined with the investment pledge will open the UAE’s 700 billion dollar economy as a gateway to the broader Middle East and North Africa market of nearly 500 million people. “Canadian businesses across energy aerospace critical minerals agri food and more will have greater access” she stated according to the government release. Anand added that the partnership will create good paying jobs and support a stronger more diversified Canadian economy.
National Defence Minister David J. McGuinty joined other officials in highlighting expanded security and defence collaboration as part of the new framework. The agreements also cover emerging issues such as the impact of artificial intelligence on diplomacy and joint work in quantum computing and advanced communications the Prime Minister’s Office said. This visit marks a substantial elevation in Canada UAE relations since the Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement entered into force earlier this year.
