U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to the UAE marks a significant step in strengthening the strategic partnership between the two nations. The visit underscores a shared commitment to building on long-term economic relations and exploring new opportunities for collaboration.
Ahead of Trump’s arrival in Abu Dhabi, Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy, said that the visit embodies the vision of the UAE’s leadership to strengthen partnership bridges and promote economic openness.
“The UAE and the United States share historical and strategic relations built on friendship and mutual understanding. This visit reinforces the UAE’s position as an influential global economic hub, and supports the achievement of sustainable economic and social development,” he added.
Trump secures major Gulf economic deals
Ahead of Trump’s visit to the UAE, the nation committed to a 10-year, $1.4 trillion investment framework in the U.S. During his Gulf tour, Trump also signed major deals with Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Trump signed an agreement with Qatar to generate an economic exchange worth at least $1.2 trillion. Trump also announced economic deals totaling more than $243.5 billion between the United States and Qatar, including a historic sale of Boeing aircraft and GE Aerospace engines to Qatar Airways.
In Saudi Arabia, he secured a $600 billion investment commitment focused on energy security, the defense industry, technology leadership, and access to global infrastructure and critical minerals.
U.S is UAE’s sixth-largest trade partner globally
Highlighting the strong UAE-U.S. economic ties ahead of Trump’s visit, Al Marri noted that the total number of American companies operating in the UAE markets has reached nearly 13,000, with over 66,000 U.S. trademarks present in the country by the end of 2024.
In addition, more than 115 Emirati companies operate in the U.S. across diverse sectors, including healthcare, e-commerce, tourism, aviation, hospitality, technology and artificial intelligence.
On the trade front, Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, noted the importance of the United States as a key trade partner, highlighting the ongoing efforts to elevate the partnership to new heights of growth and prosperity.
“The United States is a close partner and friend to the UAE, and we look forward to further strengthening our bilateral trade relations and ensuring that our shared path of prosperity continues by promoting the smooth flow of goods, services and capital necessary to stimulate shared economic growth,” he stated.
Al Zeyoudi further emphasised the significant trade volume between the two countries, noting that the U.S. remains the UAE’s largest trading partner outside Asia and its sixth-largest globally, accounting for 4 percent of the UAE’s total non-oil trade, which reached $32.8 billion in 2024.
This robust trade relationship is expected to grow further as both nations actively seek to stimulate intra-regional trade and investment in sectors of mutual interest, such as clean energy, sustainable industrial development and advanced technology.
Strong tourism and energy ties
The strong tourism ties also play a crucial role in this partnership. Al Marri said that UAE hotel establishments welcomed approximately 980,200 American guests in 2024, marking a 5.4 percent increase compared to the previous year. The 112 weekly flights between the two countries further underscore the growing tourism activities and connections.
For his part, Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, emphasised the UAE’s role as a reliable energy partner and highlighted its position as one of the largest investors in the U.S. renewable energy sector. This, he said, stands as a model of successful cross-border economic collaboration.
Al Mazrouei noted that Trump’s visit to the UAE follows recent talks held during the visit of the U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright to the UAE, where both sides explored avenues to enhance cooperation in energy, AI and efficiency, as well as new investment opportunities. These discussions reflect the countries’ shared commitment to energy transition, sustainability and innovation.
Read: What is in Trump’s $1.2 trillion deal with Qatar?
UAE seeks stronger U.S. partnership in key areas
Al Mazrouei added that the UAE is eager to deepen cooperation with American partners in sustainable infrastructure, smart mobility, and logistics—areas that strengthen the nation’s position as a global hub for innovation and future-ready energy solutions.
The ministers expressed optimism about the future of the UAE-U.S. economic partnership, emphasising the commitment to providing more opportunities and enablers for the business communities in both nations. President Trump’s visit serves as a powerful testament to the enduring and expanding strategic and economic alliance between the UAE and the United States of America.
