UAE, Canada advance economic partnership at Canada Investment Summit 2026
Minister of Foreign Trade Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi led a UAE delegation to Toronto, pressing for rapid delivery on a US$50 billion investment framework and the swift implementation of a newly negotiated CEPA.
UAE ministers and investors discuss US$50 billion framework and CEPA progress
Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade, headed a high-level UAE delegation to the Canada Investment Summit 2026 in Toronto, meeting Prime Minister Mark Carney on the sidelines of the conference. The minister conveyed greetings from President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and other senior leaders, underscoring the federal priority attached to deeper ties with Canada.
Mr Carney welcomed the delegation and underlined Canada’s interest in widening trade and investment links. Both sides flagged a range of priority sectors for expanded cooperation, notably clean energy, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, agri-food, aviation, space and infrastructure.
Central to discussions was the US$50 billion investment framework announced during Mr Carney’s visit to the UAE in November 2025. Officials from both countries described the framework as a practical vehicle to translate strategic ambitions into long-term projects and called for accelerated implementation.
The meeting also reviewed progress since the conclusion of Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) negotiations between the UAE and Canada in July. The talks were completed in record time, the fastest under the UAE’s CEPA programme and the quickest trade negotiation in Canada’s history, and ministers emphasised moving from agreement to action.
The visiting UAE delegation included senior figures from Abu Dhabi’s strategic investment community. Musabbeh Al Kaabi, CEO of ADNOC Upstream, and Waleed Al Mokarrab Al Muhairi, Deputy Group CEO of Mubadala Investment Company, attended alongside officials and private‑sector leaders. Their presence signalled an Abu Dhabi‑led push to identify concrete project opportunities across the partnership’s priority areas.
Dr. Al Zeyoudi said the visit demonstrated the depth of the UAE‑Canada economic partnership and the potential to convert recent agreements and frameworks into sustainable opportunities for businesses from both countries. He stressed the importance of public‑private collaboration and the UAE’s role as a gateway to regional markets.
Bilateral trade figures cited at the summit underline the momentum: non‑oil trade between the UAE and Canada reached approximately US$4.2 billion in 2025, up 21 percent on 2024, while the first half of 2026 saw non‑oil trade of about US$2.03 billion, a 19 percent rise year‑on‑year. Canada is the UAE’s third‑largest trading partner in the Americas and the UAE is Canada’s largest Arab trading partner.
Alongside ministerial talks, Dr. Al Zeyoudi held bilateral meetings with Canadian ministers, provincial premiers and senior business figures to explore investment pipelines and private sector collaboration. Officials signalled that the coming months should focus on converting negotiated commitments into investible projects.
Source: WAM