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Relations between Türkiye and the United Arab Emirates are deepening, driven by rising trade volume and strong commercial ties between the two countries.
Bilateral relations date back several decades, with Türkiye and the UAE first appointing ambassadors to each other in the 1980s.
Following the UAE’s founding in 1971, Türkiye opened its embassy in Abu Dhabi in 1979, while the UAE established its embassy in Ankara in 1983.
Mutual visits by leaders, engagement in regional and international organizations, and expanding commercial relations have further strengthened ties.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who most recently visited the UAE in February 2024, is set to pay an official visit to the country on Feb. 16. UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan last visited Türkiye on July 16, 2025.
Numerous agreements and memorandums of understanding signed during these visits have reinforced bilateral relations.
The first meeting of the High-Level Strategic Council, established in 2023 and co-chaired by Erdogan and Al Nahyan, was held in Ankara in 2025.
The meeting underscored both sides’ determination to further develop bilateral ties and comprehensive cooperation in line with shared objectives.
The leaders discussed opportunities to enhance mutual investments and trade through bilateral mechanisms, including the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, the Joint Economic Commission, and the Economic and Trade Partnership Committee.
Talks also covered cooperation to support sustainable economic growth, facilitate regional and international trade, and capitalize on complementary and resilient trade routes.
A joint declaration adopted on July 16, 2025, recorded that Erdogan and Al Nahyan agreed to hold the next meeting of the High-Level Strategic Council in Abu Dhabi in 2026.
The groundwork for the Türkiye-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement was laid during Erdogan’s visit to the UAE in February 2022.
After a year of negotiations, the trade ministers of both countries signed the agreement in Abu Dhabi on March 3, with Erdogan and Al Nahyan participating online.
The agreement entered into force on Sept. 1, 2023, further strengthening commercial ties.
Customs arrangements enabling tariff reductions boosted trade momentum across sectors, including defense, energy, renewable energy, logistics and port investments, as well as real estate and technology.
Türkiye’s exports to the UAE rose by about 24% in 2025 compared with the previous year.
According to Turkish Statistical Institute data, exports increased by $1.313 billion in 2025 to reach $6.826 billion.
Mehmet Ali Akarca, chairman of the DEIK Türkiye-UAE Business Council, said in comments to Anadolu Agency on Jan. 20 that the export growth should be viewed not as a temporary development but as the result of a multidimensional and structural transformation.
The bilateral trade volume, currently estimated at close to $20 billion, is targeted to increase to $40 billion.
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According to data from the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, more than 300 companies established with UAE capital operate in Türkiye, most of them in the Marmara region and the country’s northwest.
UAE investors primarily focus on sectors including real estate, energy, banking, logistics, agriculture, and industry.
Data from the Presidency Investment and Finance Office shows the UAE ranked as the seventh-largest investor in Türkiye in 2025, with investments totaling $367 million.
Tourism activity between the two countries has also increased since 2019. In a statement in November 2025, UAE Ambassador to Ankara Saeed Thani Al Dhaheri said tourism traffic between the UAE and Türkiye has grown by over 50% since that year.
Türkiye also regularly participates in fairs hosted by the UAE across sectors such as health, culture, technology and energy.
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