UAE, Italy issue joint statement

Looking ahead, the two leaders expressed a shared desire to further strengthen this partnership, advancing towards a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. In this context, the UAE has announced a commitment of US$40 billion to invest in Italy across key sectors.

In this framework, more than 40 new agreements were signed in total, thus starting the implementation of common goals and reaffirming the joint commitment to enhancing strategic cooperation across priority areas such as: economy and investment, defense, energy - including peaceful nuclear energy, sustainable energy and energy transition, space and the promotion of cultural heritage. They also highlighted other sectors of mutual interest such as connectivity, infrastructure, high-tech industry, artificial intelligence, water technology, information and communication technology, SMEs and startups, agriculture, civil aviation, education, culture, and healthcare. The two leaders also explored opportunities for cooperation with other partners, particularly in Africa, and exchanged views on regional developments.

The state visit of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to Italy and the three visits of President Meloni to the UAE have marked the dawn of a new era in UAE-Italy relations, one that will further elevate bilateral ties and promote shared prosperity, peace, and innovation across the globe.

1. Trade and economic relations

Noting the impressive growth in bilateral trade, the leaders celebrated the expanding economic ties, highlighting the steady progress despite global challenges. Trade between the two countries remained robust, with non-oil bilateral trade reaching US$11.7 billion in 2023. The UAE and Italy also expressed their commitment to expanding investment flows, noting that Italy had increased its investment in the UAE by 50 percent over the last five years. This new phase of collaboration will focus on strengthening investment opportunities in key sectors, including energy, technology, and advanced manufacturing.

Both sides agreed to advance trade relations through conducting a High-Level Business Forum, which served as a platform to deepen economic collaboration and explore new investment opportunities in areas such as sustainable energy, connectivity, defense, water, artificial intelligence, and advanced technology.

Emphasising Italy's critical role in Europe's economic landscape, the leaders discussed the UAE's goal of enhancing its presence in European markets with Italy’s support, particularly by pursuing negotiations for market liberalisation through a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, a bilateral free trade agreement, with the European Union (EU). They also highlighted Italy’s and UAE’s roles as logistic hubs and stepping stones in global connectivity, strengthening trade and investment ties between Europe and the dynamic economies of Asia. This collaboration underscores the importance of Italy and the UAE as strategic partners for innovation, sustainable economic development, and technological exchange, fostering deeper ties between Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, also in the framework of IMEC.

2. Cultural cooperation

The two leaders acknowledged the strong people-to-people connections between the UAE and Italy, recognising the positive impact of cultural exchanges, academic partnerships, and tourism. Both leaders commended the Italian community living in the UAE and the UAE nationals living in Italy, noting that their contributions are playing a key role in fostering the strong cultural and educational ties between the two nations. The leaders agreed to facilitate greater mobility for students, tourists, and business professionals, thereby strengthening bilateral exchanges in the future. They underscored the importance of further enhancing these exchanges under the existing Strategic Partnership. The leaders further expressed their commitment to enhance partnership to promote tolerance, interreligious and intercultural dialogue, and jointly address extremism, racism, and hate speech in line with the provisions of Security Council resolution 2686.

Both sides agreed to explore new opportunities for collaboration in the arts, heritage preservation, and tourism.

3. Cooperation in advanced science, emerging and critical technologies, space and innovation

In the field of science, the leaders expressed a shared commitment to advancing space exploration and fostering innovation in advanced technologies. With both nations at the forefront of space and scientific research, the UAE and Italy agreed to explore new avenues for collaboration.

The two leaders agreed to further enhance cooperation in the fields of science, technology, and innovation, recognising Italy’s technological advancements and the UAE’s ambitious initiatives, such as the Emirates Mars Mission (Hope Probe) and the development of space exploration programmes, including the most recent cooperation on the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt, the Emirates Lunar Mission, and Rashid Rover. Both nations pledged to share knowledge, expertise, and resources to drive innovation in artificial intelligence, digital transformation, drone technologies, and space, including exploration, remote-sensing technologies, and research.

In this context, a key milestone of the visit was the establishment of a strategic partnership on data centers and artificial intelligence between the UAE and Italy. As part of this collaboration, a Letter of Intent (LOI) was signed by UAE-based entities MGX and G42, alongside Italy’s ENI. Aiming to advance AI infrastructure, expand data center capacity, integrate sustainable energy solutions, and enhance cross-border digital resilience. This initiative supports both nations’ ambitions in technological innovation, digital transformation, and the acceleration of AI-powered economies.

Both leaders reiterated their commitment to advancing international cooperation on Artificial Intelligence (AI), building on the discussions that took place during Italy’s Presidency of the G7 in 2024, recognising AI’s transformative potential across various sectors. They highlighted the strong existing collaboration between the UAE and Italy in fostering the responsible development and deployment of AI, emphasising the importance of a human-centered, ethical, safe, secure, trustworthy, inclusive AI, ensuring data protection, and promoting sustainable innovation.

The leaders emphasised the importance of international cooperation in creating frameworks that guide AI’s global use, ensuring its benefits are shared equitably across societies. By leveraging both nations’ expertise in AI research and cutting-edge technological initiatives, the two leaders underscored their shared vision of shaping a future for AI that promotes global policy alignment and drives inclusive, innovative progress.

The leaders also agreed to collaborate on educational and research initiatives, with a particular focus on the development of emerging and critical technologies, including quantum, cryptography, artificial intelligence, and space science.

4. Cooperation in defence, cybersecurity, police, and judicial cooperation

Both leaders stressed the importance of enhancing military and security cooperation to strengthen defense capabilities and promote regional stability.

They are looking forward to collaborating on defense technology through research and development, technical expertise exchange, advancement of the maintenance and modernisation of defense equipment. Military Industry cooperation will focus on joint production, technology transfer, and the development of defense manufacturing facilities. Security Cooperation will encompass counter-terrorism efforts, cybersecurity, information sharing, and coordinated responses to natural disaster and humanitarian crises.

The leaders emphasised that cyberspace safety and stability are essential for fostering digital economic growth and sustainable development. Reaffirming cybersecurity as a key pillar of the UAE-Italy partnership, both nations continue to enhance their collaboration in capacity building, information sharing, and the development of Centers of Excellence to drive innovation, resilience, research and development, and specialised training programmes. Their active participation in global cyber cooperation initiatives further strengthens their collective ability to counter emerging threats and reinforce international defense mechanisms, including active collaboration within the Counter Ransomware Initiative (CRI).

Reaffirming their commitment to cybersecurity as a key pillar of the UAE-Italy partnership, both nations are looking forward to exploring avenues to deepen collaboration in critical areas, and to establishing long-term cooperation between the respective agencies responsible for cybersecurity. Such cooperation could be formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) also to support cyber capacity building, cybersecurity policy alignment, and emerging threat mitigation.

The leaders underscored the importance of co-hosting and expanding cybersecurity events, leveraging the UAE’s and Italy’s role as international hubs through summits such as GISEC, GITEX, INTERSEC, IDEX, and Dubai Airshow, as well as the Rome Med Dialogues – Cybersecurity Forum.

Acknowledging the significance of preparedness, the UAE and Italy reaffirmed their commitment to joint cybersecurity exercises, building on Italy’s engagement in GISEC and CyberQ 2024. The leaders also emphasised the need for closer cooperation on ransomware threats, reaffirming both countries’ ongoing collaboration with global partners, including the United States, to strengthen cybersecurity strategies and intelligence-sharing mechanisms. Both sides agreed that enhanced intelligence-sharing efforts will bolster global resilience against cyber threats.

Similarly, the two leaders stressed the importance of cooperating towards international security and stability in cyberspace through multilateral mechanisms, starting from the regular institutional dialogue at the United Nations.

Both sides recognised the importance of enhancing police cooperation, the UAE and Italy reaffirmed their willingness to develop the exchange of experiences and to share best practices also their membership in the International Security Alliance (ISA), and through training programmes on issues related to the fight against transnational organised crime, international drug trafficking, money laundering, smuggling and trafficking of human beings. Also, both parties continue to enhance their collaboration through the International Initiative of Law Enforcement for Climate Change (I2LEC) to fight crimes against the environment.

The leaders welcomed the judicial collaboration between our countries, which has become increasingly solid in recent years, as shown by the decision to establish the office of the Italian liaison magistrate in Abu Dhabi; and expressed their confidence that the rogatory and extradition requests will experience positive developments as well as their satisfaction with the common initiatives implemented to combat the activities of transnational organised crime, including cyber-enabled crime.

5. Cooperation on energy, sustainability, and water

Energy
The leaders reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to global sustainability and climate action, emphasising the urgent need for international cooperation to address climate change and its far-reaching impacts. They highlighted both countries’ leadership in advancing renewable energy technologies, including solar and wind energy, as well as their expertise in green technology, environmental conservation, and water sustainability.

In this context, the leaders welcomed the signing of the Tripartite Strategic Partnership Framework between the UAE, Italy, and Albania, aimed at advancing renewable energy cooperation, including large-scale solar and wind projects. The agreement also strengthens regional energy security and access through a subsea interconnection, reinforcing shared climate and energy transition objectives.

Both leaders underscored the importance of energy efficiency as a key driver of economic growth, emission reduction, energy security, and ensuring optimal resource use while minimising environmental impact. By improving efficiency, countries can reduce energy costs, enhance industrial productivity, and alleviate pressure on infrastructure, making energy more accessible and sustainable.

The leaders recognised the urgent need to accelerate the integration of sustainable fuels across key sectors, including industry, transportation, power generation, and aviation. They agreed to remain technology-agnostic in exploring diverse pathways for the development and deployment of sustainable fuels. Low-carbon fuels were acknowledged as viable transitional solutions, and mechanisms to scale adoption will be considered to support large-scale offtake agreements and market expansion.

Water
The leaders recognised that water lies at the core of climate action, affirming their shared commitment to addressing global water challenges. Both sides underscored the need to strengthen international cooperation, highlighting the upcoming 2026 UN Water Conference, co-hosted by the UAE and Senegal, as a key opportunity to advance global water efforts. They also stressed the importance of investing in water technology and innovation to scale up water scarcity solutions, as exemplified by the UAE’s launch of the “Mohamed bin sayed Water Initiative,” in early 2024.

Both sides emphasised the nexus between water and energy, particularly in ensuring access to just, affordable, and modern energy for all. They recognised the importance of integrated approaches that enhance water efficiency and resilience, as well as support clean energy expansion, where reliable and clean water access is essential for long-term sustainable development. The leaders also underscored the role of innovative solutions in advancing conservation efforts and addressing global water challenges.

Food security and agriculture
The leaders reaffirmed their shared commitment to strengthening agricultural cooperation, recognising its importance for food security and sustainable development. They highlighted the UAE’s leadership in innovative water-efficient farming solutions and Italy’s expertise in high-quality organic agriculture and advanced farming technologies, emphasising opportunities for joint research, knowledge exchange, and trade partnerships.

The leaders underscored the role of international collaboration in advancing agricultural innovation and food security, highlighting the value of scientific research and technological advancements in enhancing productivity, sustainability, and climate resilience. They welcomed ongoing efforts to expand bilateral trade in high-quality agricultural products, particularly in organic and sustainable food production, reflecting their mutual commitment to resilient food systems and supply chains.

Climate action
The leaders recalled and reaffirmed their support for the UAE Consensus and all its collective goals, including the commitment to the global energy transition by tripling renewable energy capacity and doubling efforts in energy efficiency by 2030, agreed at the conclusion of the UAE’s successful UNFCCC COP28 hosting in 2023, as well as subsequent outcomes of COP29. They recognised Italy's significant contributions to global climate action and expressed their commitment to strengthening collaboration on international environmental initiatives. In this context, they acknowledge the strategic role of the Adaptation Accelerator Hub, launched during the Italian G7 Presidency, in supporting the achievement of the effective implementation of adaptation actions and they share the strong interest in working together to unlock and improve access to adaptation finance, particularly in African countries. Both sides also pledged to work together in the lead-up to COP30 and beyond to achieve net-zero emissions targets by 2050.

6. Health cooperation

The leaders agreed to further enhance cooperation in the health field, and on this note, the UAE expressed deep appreciation for the humanitarian medical support extended by experts from Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital in Rome and the Giannina Gaslini Institute in Genoa, Italy. Their humanitarian efforts proved invaluable, particularly in providing medical assistance to injured patients who had been treated by the UAE under Operation Chivalrous Knight initiative in Gaza.

7. Cooperation in Africa within the framework of the Rome Process

The leaders reaffirmed their shared commitment to strengthening global partnerships and advancing sustainable development through the Rome Process and the Mattei Plan for Africa. The UAE and Italy have been at the forefront of launching the Rome Process, a multilateral framework designed to promote sustainable development, security, and economic growth for the benefit of people across Africa, in alignment with Italy’s national vision for Africa, the Mattei Plan. They highlighted the Rome Process as a key initiative to foster long-term economic cooperation between Italy, the UAE, and African nations, with a focus on education and training, food security and rural development, water and sanitation, infrastructure development, renewable energy, and technology transfer. Both leaders emphasised the importance of leveraging this framework to promote inclusive growth, create job opportunities, also engaging diaspora networks and enhance regional stability, in order to counter the root causes of migration.

They noted the Mattei Plan’s emphasis on strengthening local economies through sustainable and equitable investment, ensuring that both Italy and the UAE play a central role in advancing Africa's energy transition and supporting critical sectors like agriculture, health, and education.