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The Emirates News Agency reported that Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who serves as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, held the call with Ed Miliband, the UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs. The two reviewed the friendly relations between their countries and identified opportunities to advance cooperation in support of national development priorities. They also exchanged assessments of recent regional and international events while considering the broader situation across the area. WAM added that both officials discussed means to intensify collaborative work aimed at reinforcing security and stability at the regional and global levels.
This telephone discussion reflects the pattern of regular high-level contacts maintained by the foreign policy arms of both governments. The agency stated that the conversation highlighted the strategic depth of the partnership built over many years. Officials from the two sides have used such channels to align positions on matters affecting mutual interests and wider international concerns.
A UK government factsheet published on November 6, 2026, placed total trade in goods and services between the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates at £25.1 billion in the four quarters to the end of the second quarter of 2026. The Department for Business and Trade figures show that value rose 3.1 percent or £747 million from the comparable period a year earlier. The same data listed the UAE as the UK’s 21st-largest trading partner, representing 1.3 percent of overall UK trade.
UK government statistics further indicated that British exports to the UAE totalled £15.8 billion in that timeframe while imports reached £9.3 billion. The factsheet noted that the stock of UK foreign direct investment in the UAE stood at £4.2 billion at the end of 2024, an increase of £42 million from the previous year. Such metrics underscore the commercial foundation that accompanies the diplomatic exchanges between the two capitals.
The latest call follows the adoption of a framework for enhanced cooperation agreed earlier in 2026 that spans foreign affairs, defence, trade, investment, artificial intelligence and the energy transition, according to a joint statement issued at the time. That agreement built upon discussions between the UK Prime Minister and the UAE President, the UK government recorded. The November 6 conversation helps sustain the momentum generated by that framework across multiple sectors.
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs has described such engagements as essential to addressing shared challenges and expanding opportunities for both nations. WAM’s coverage of the call emphasised the commitment to ongoing dialogue on stability questions. The two countries first established formal diplomatic relations in the early 1970s and have since expanded ties across political, economic and security domains.
