Canada-UAE Investment Summit Strengthens Bilateral Ties As Trade Relations Exceed AED 260 Billion

The Canada-UAE Business Council (CUBC), in collaboration with ADNOC and XRG, hosted the Canada-UAE Investment Summit in Abu Dhabi. This event brought together senior government officials, institutional investors, and private-sector leaders from both countries. The forum highlighted the mutual ambition of Canada and the UAE to enhance strategic investments and boost collaboration across key sectors.

Musabbeh Al Kaabi, CEO of Upstream at ADNOC and Co-Chair of CUBC, opened the Summit by emphasising the robust bilateral investment relationship. He noted that this partnership now exceeds AED 260 billion (C$100 billion). "The collaboration between Emirati and Canadian institutions continues to open new avenues for investment and innovation," said Al Kaabi.

Discussions at the Summit centred on mobilising institutional and alternative capital, advancing national investment priorities, and expanding cooperation in energy, technology, infrastructure, and artificial intelligence. These discussions aimed to create long-term value for both economies while supporting future growth.

The Summit featured several high-impact announcements and partnership signings. Notably, Invest in Canada and the UAE Ministry of Investment signed an investment collaboration agreement. Additionally, BlackBerry partnered with the UAE Cybersecurity Council on cybersecurity and secure communications.

The recently signed Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA) was also highlighted during the event. This agreement aims to boost investor confidence and facilitate greater capital flows between Canada and the UAE. Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi celebrated the deepening trade partnership valued at C$3.4 billion in two-way merchandise trade.

Insights from Leading Organisations

Leading organisations such as Mubadala Investment Company, ADQ, e&, Power Sustainable, TD Securities, Inovia Capital, Mila, TELUS Digital, Space42, and TII shared insights on innovation ecosystems. Their contributions focused on emerging opportunities in co-investment, technology development, and AI-driven competitiveness.

Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada; Dr. Sultan Al Jaber; Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi; Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi were among the notable participants. Their presence underscored the importance of advancing sustainable growth through technological cooperation between Canada and the UAE.

Jean Charest from Therrien Couture Joli-Coeur provided closing remarks at the Summit. He noted that it concluded with a shared commitment to strengthen economic ties between Canada and the UAE further. The focus remains on driving innovation while unlocking new opportunities for sustainable growth for both nations.

With inputs from WAM