UAE-France High-Level Business Council Plenary In Abu Dhabi Advances AI And Bilateral Trade

The UAE-France High-Level Business Council has held its fourth plenary meeting in Abu Dhabi, with members agreeing fresh steps to deepen economic cooperation, especially in artificial intelligence, advanced industry and sustainable growth sectors. The session also confirmed plans for another Regional Business Development Meeting during 2025 to continue this agenda.

Participants endorsed new initiatives that seek to convert strategic dialogue into concrete projects, including a Memorandum of Understanding on AI-driven subsurface development in the energy sector. Council members also reviewed past milestones, recent investment flows, and trade growth between the UAE and France across multiple industries.

The plenary took place during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, under the joint chairmanship of Dr. Sultan Al Jaber and Patrick Pouyanné. Delegations from major French and Emirati companies attended, covering aviation, energy, finance, industrial technology, data, and digital services, confirming broad corporate support for the Council’s agenda.

French representation included TotalEnergies, Airbus, Société Générale, Engie, Ardian, Fives Group representing MEDEF International, and Artefact. From the UAE, the delegation featured ADNOC, Masdar, Etihad Airways, Emirates, Presight, Dubai Chambers, First Abu Dhabi Bank, BEEAH, ADQ, AIQ, XRG, G42, ALTÉRRA, 2PointZero, Emirates NBD, IHC, and ePointZero.

The meeting was co-chaired by Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Managing Director and Group CEO of ADNOC, alongside Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies. Also present were Mohamed Al Suwaidi, Mansoor Al Mansoori, and Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori in senior leadership roles.

In opening remarks, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber passed on the greetings of the UAE leadership and underlined the strength of long-term ties with France. The timing of the session, shortly after President Macron’s visit to the UAE, was noted as a reflection of strong strategic alignment between both leaderships.

Dr. Sultan Al Jaber stressed that the Council acts as a practical channel to turn a shared vision into measurable economic outcomes. The focus is on AI, advanced manufacturing, and sustainable growth as priority pillars, in line with both countries’ industrial strategies and energy transition goals.

"As we harness the transformative potential of AI and pursue sustainable industrial development, the UAE-France High-Level Business Council remains committed to unlocking high-value investment opportunities that drive innovation, competitiveness, and shared prosperity for both nations," Dr. Sultan Al Jaber said.

AI cooperation at the UAE-France High-Level Business Council plenary

Artificial intelligence was treated as a cross-cutting driver of growth during the session. Council discussions highlighted how AI can improve productivity, increase efficiency, and strengthen competitiveness across sectors such as energy, transport, manufacturing, and financial services, while deepening existing industrial and energy partnerships.

AIQ and Artefact delivered presentations on recent AI advances and their business impact. Artefact, a leading global company specialised in AI, offered a forward-looking view on AI, highlighting that more than a technology shift, it was a transformation of processes, roles, and operating models, calling for bold strategic choices and strong execution to turn promise into measurable results.

The talk by Artefact outlined how AI can support faster decision-making, unlock new growth avenues, and deliver clear productivity gains. At the same time, the presentation addressed financial, organisational, and human constraints that currently limit adoption, stressing the need for governance, skills, and investment to realise full value.

The plenary also announced a new Memorandum of Understanding on strategic collaboration for AI-driven subsurface development. The MoU, involving AIQ, ADNOC, TotalEnergies, and G42, aims to deploy AI in oil and gas exploration and reservoir management. It seeks faster subsurface analysis and lower uncertainty, supporting more efficient resource development.

UAE-France High-Level Business Council milestones and AI-linked projects

Council members reviewed progress since the previous plenary in Paris in February 2025. Participants agreed that the UAE-France High-Level Business Council had kept strong momentum, with several initiatives in 2025 turning strategic intent into active programmes and large-scale investments, especially around AI-enabled projects.

"Over the past few years, the HLBC has proven to be indispensable in strengthening and developing concrete and beneficial business cooperation between French and Emirati companies. This fourth session confirms this once again with new bilateral partnerships, particularly in the field of AI," said Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies.

Key milestones included the second Regional Business Development Meeting in Abu Dhabi in May 2025, held alongside "Make it in the Emirates". That meeting focused on "Unlocking cross-investment potential in AI" and aimed to match Emirati and French companies for AI-related industrial and services projects.

Another major development was the joint venture between MGX, Bpifrance, Mistral AI, and NVIDIA. The partnership plans to build Europe’s largest AI and data-centre campus in the Île-de-France region, targeting capacity of 1.4 GW by 2030. UAE investment could reach up to €50 billion, the largest such commitment in Europe.

The Council also highlighted the inauguration of Fives Industrial Technologies and its 3,000m² manufacturing site in Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi. The facility will supply local manufacturing support to aluminium, oil and gas, and aeronautics customers, strengthening industrial links between the UAE and French engineering expertise.

Significant aviation deals were reviewed. Etihad Airways expanded its widebody fleet with 32 new Airbus aircraft, including A350-1000s, A350F freighters, and A330-900s, with first deliveries scheduled from 2027. Emirates ordered eight additional Airbus A350-900 aircraft, valued at US$ 3.4 billion, extending a partnership with Airbus that spans four decades.

Transport cooperation advanced further through the launch of the Keolis-Etihad Rail joint venture for passenger rail services in the UAE. The collaboration aims to bring French rail operating experience into the UAE’s national rail programme, supporting long-term mobility, tourism and domestic connectivity plans.

Trade growth and investment under the UAE-France High-Level Business Council

Trade data discussed at the UAE-France High-Level Business Council reflected strengthening economic ties. Non-oil trade between the two countries rose 35.8% in the first ten months of 2025, reaching AED46 billion. This surge was driven largely by a 222% increase in re-exports during the same period.

For 2024 as a whole, bilateral non-oil trade increased by 21.3%, reaching about AED44.5 billion compared with 2023. These figures indicate sustained growth in goods and services flows, supporting the Council’s strategy of expanding partnerships beyond hydrocarbons into advanced manufacturing, AI, aviation, and infrastructure.

The UAE hosts the largest concentration of French companies in the Middle East, with around 600 firms operating in the country. These companies employ more than 30,000 people. At the same time, the UAE is France’s second-largest investor in the GCC, underlining the depth of the bilateral relationship.

Council participants closed the meeting by restating their commitment to expand cooperation across AI, advanced industries, renewable energy, and infrastructure. They agreed to hold the third Regional Business Development Meeting during 2025, aiming to keep momentum and translate strategic alignment into further projects and investments.

With inputs from WAM