Canada-UAE Investment Summit strengthens bilateral ties, unlocking new growth as trade relations surpass AED 260 bn

emirates7 - The Canada-UAE Business Council (CUBC), in partnership with ADNOC and XRG, hosted the Canada-UAE Investment Summit in Abu Dhabi today, bringing together senior government officials, institutional investors, and private-sector leaders from both nations.

The high-level forum underscored the shared ambition of Canada and the United Arab Emirates to deepen strategic investments and accelerate collaboration across priority sectors.

The Summit featured the participation of Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada; Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology; Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer of ADNOC, as well as Executive Chairman of XRG; Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade; Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi, UAE Minister of Investment, Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer of ADQ.

Discussions focused on mobilizing institutional and alternative capital, advancing national investment priorities, and expanding cooperation in energy, technology, infrastructure, and artificial intelligence.

Opening the Summit, Musabbeh Al Kaabi, Chief Executive Officer of Upstream at ADNOC

and Co-Chair of the Canada-UAE Business Council, emphasised the strength and dynamism of the bilateral investment relationship, which now exceeds AED 260 billion (C$100 billion).

“The collaboration between Emirati and Canadian institutions continues to open new avenues for investment and innovation. With a bilateral investment partnership now surpassing AED 260 billion (C$100 billion), our shared ambition has never been stronger. Together, we can accelerate solutions in energy, technology, and infrastructure, creating long-term value for our economies while nderpinning the next phase of growth and prosperity,” said Al Kaabi.

The Summit also highlighted the recently signed Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA), which aims to enhance investor confidence and facilitate greater capital flows between the two countries.

Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi celebrated the deepening trade partnership, now valued at C$3.4 billion in two-way merchandise trade.

Leading organisations such as Mubadala Investment Company, ADQ, e&, Power Sustainable, TD Securities, Inovia Capital, Mila, TELUS Digital, Space42, and the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) shared insights on innovation ecosystems and emerging areas of opportunity. Their contributions to the day’s sessions, ranging from mobilising institutional and alternative capital to advancing AI-driven competitiveness, highlighted concrete pathways for co-investment, technology development, and

strengthened Canada-UAE collaboration.

The Summit included a series of high-impact bilateral announcements and partnership signings, underscoring the shared commitment of Canada and the UAE to advance sustainable growth and deepen technological cooperation: Invest in Canada and the UAE Ministry of Investment signed an investment collaboration agreement; BlackBerry and the UAE Cybersecurity Council signed a partnership on cybersecurity and secure communications; and Mila and the Technology Innovation Institute signed a strategic partnership on artificial intelligence innovation.

Jean Charest, Partner at Therrien Couture Joli-Coeur and Co-Chair, Canada-UAE Business Council provided closing remarks, noting that the Summit concluded with a shared commitment to continue strengthening the Canada-UAE economic and investment partnership, driving innovation, and unlocking new opportunities for sustainable growth and long-term prosperity for both nations.