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The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that policymakers and business executives from both countries convened at a parliamentary reception hosted by the UAE-UK Business Council, drawing more than 160 attendees including UK Minister of State for Investment Lord Stockwood and UAE Special Envoy H.E. Badr Jafar. Discussions centered on deepening collaboration in artificial intelligence, clean energy, life sciences and workforce skills, with participants stressing the value of open markets and rules-based trade at a time of global fragmentation. The event underscored how the bilateral relationship has endured recent disruptions while expanding in scale and ambition.
According to the ministry, the UAE-UK Sovereign Investment Partnership launched in 2021 with an initial 10-billion-pound target over five years has already deployed nearly 30 billion pounds, almost tripling the goal in under four years through more than 50 direct investments. The partnership has sustained 48,000 jobs in the United Kingdom to date and is forecast to generate an additional 280,000 by 2030. Bilateral trade exceeds 25 billion pounds annually, supported by more than 14,000 UK exporters active in the UAE market.
H.E. Badr Jafar told those present that the two economies share core principles of open markets, rules-based trade and innovation-led growth. “In a world drifting toward fragmentation, that alignment is valuable,” he said. Jafar added that the next stage of cooperation would concentrate on co-investment in sectors poised to define the coming decade rather than on volume alone.
Lord Stockwood reaffirmed the strength of the UK-UAE relationship and the United Kingdom’s commitment to the partnership even during challenging periods, the ministry stated. He highlighted joint efforts to protect global supply chains, including the continued flow of goods through the Strait of Hormuz. UAE authorities maintained full continuity in banking, telecommunications, power and logistics sectors despite regional pressures by repositioning ports and injecting liquidity through the central bank.
UAE economic indicators remain robust, with the ministry projecting 5.6 percent growth for 2026 and inflation capped at no more than 1.3 percent. The country drew a record 45.6 billion dollars in foreign direct investment in the preceding year, a near-50 percent rise, while climbing into the World Trade Organization’s global top ten exporters. Sovereign capital reserves stand at approximately 2.5 trillion dollars, equivalent to five times gross domestic product, and the UAE has concluded 35 comprehensive economic partnership agreements across four continents.
The reception coincided with the launch of a white paper titled “Opportunities for UK-UAE Collaboration in Skills, Qualifications and Assessment,” which recommends mutual recognition of professional qualifications and joint design of apprenticeships. Lord Udny-Lister, co-chair of the UAE-UK Business Council, pointed to the chance for businesses in both nations to leverage each other’s markets as gateways to high-growth economies worldwide. Officials described how the UAE–UK economic partnership offers blueprint for growth through global disruption by combining institutional trust with targeted investment in future-oriented fields.
