UAE-Germany Ties Deepen Across Generations and Sectors

The article examines more than 120 years of cultural connections between the UAE and Germany, tracing the relationship from a historic 1904 photograph of Abu Dhabi’s ruler Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan to President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s 2026 visit to Germany. Although the countries established diplomatic relations in 1972, their cultural cooperation has developed across publishing, music, archaeology, language education, architecture and film. Publishing is presented as one of the strongest areas of collaboration. The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair drew on the expertise of the Frankfurt Book Fair through a 2006 agreement, with the two organizations jointly running the Abu Dhabi event from 2007 to 2013. Germany has maintained an annual presence at the fair since 2008 and was Guest of Honour in 2021 and 2022. The exchange also operates in the opposite direction, with Emirati publishers and authors participating in Frankfurt and the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre promoting translations of Arab and Emirati literature. German writer and translator Stefan Weidner is highlighted as the 2026 recipient of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award in the Arab Culture in Other Languages category. Music has provided another important bridge. The Bayreuth Festival Orchestra performed in Abu Dhabi in 2008, and Bayreuth later presented Wagner’s “The Valkyrie” there. UAE cultural organizations have also brought Emirati artists and UAE-backed productions to Berlin. The article also points to shared institutional and architectural legacies, including Abu Dhabi’s Cultural Foundation, designed by a practice co-founded by Bauhaus architect Walter Gropius. The Goethe-Institut, German Academic Exchange Service and German development agency GTZ established a joint Abu Dhabi liaison office in 2006, while film festivals and exhibitions have continued to reinforce the relationship. The supplied article ends while beginning a section on archaeological cooperation.

President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed arrived in Berlin on September 9 to begin a state visit to Germany focused on strengthening political, economic and development ties between the UAE and Germany. His aircraft was escorted by military planes after entering German airspace, and he received a 21-gun salute and a guard of honour upon arrival. During the visit, Sheikh Mohamed is scheduled to meet German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Discussions are expected to focus on expanding cooperation in economic and development sectors. The two countries established diplomatic relations in 1972 and signed a strategic partnership in 2004. Bilateral trade exceeded $15.5 billion in 2025, while approximately 2,000 German companies—including BMW, Siemens, ThyssenKrupp and Deutsche Bahn—operate in the UAE. The article highlights energy cooperation as a central element of the relationship. The UAE and Germany are working together on energy security and the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. The Baltic Eagle offshore wind farm, in which Abu Dhabi’s Masdar owns a 49 per cent stake valued at €488 million, became fully operational in July 2025. It supplies electricity to roughly 475,000 homes and prevents an estimated 800,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually. The countries are also exploring liquefied natural gas supplies through cooperation between Abu Dhabi’s Adnoc and Germany’s RWE. Recent visits by German and UAE officials, including Chancellor Merz’s visit to Adnoc and Badr Jafar’s meetings with German business leaders, have further supported private-sector and energy partnerships. Sheikh Mohamed previously visited Germany in 2019 as Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, when he described both countries as regional anchors of peace and stability.

The article examines the deepening strategic relationship between the United Arab Emirates and Germany ahead of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s state visit to Germany. It describes the partnership as one built over decades of diplomatic, economic, energy, technological and cultural connections, and says bilateral ties are stronger than ever despite global instability, including the Covid-19 pandemic, wars and growing climate concerns. Formal diplomatic relations began in May 1972, shortly after the UAE was established, although informal links date to 1904, when German explorer Hermann Burchardt photographed life in Abu Dhabi. His images, including photographs of Sheikh Zayed the First, are now displayed at Zayed National Museum. Other early connections include a German company’s construction of a pipeline supplying Abu Dhabi with drinking water in 1964 and the later introduction of German-made Mercedes-Benz vehicles and Siemens traffic lights. Germany is now the UAE’s most important trading partner in the Gulf. Bilateral trade exceeded Dh57 billion ($15.52 billion) last year, while German imports from the UAE rose by more than 50 percent. Around 2,000 German companies operate in the UAE, including BMW, Siemens, ThyssenKrupp and Deutsche Bahn, which contributed to the development of Etihad Rail’s freight services. The relationship was elevated to a strategic partnership in 2004, covering regional security, visa arrangements, energy, communications and research. The energy relationship has since expanded from renewable energy cooperation to climate action, decarbonisation and energy security. A 2022 agreement committed the UAE to supply Germany with liquefied natural gas and accelerate joint industrial and climate projects. The article also highlights shared interests such as football and automobiles, while noting that political disagreements, including Germany’s 2019 arms-sales restrictions, did not significantly weaken the relationship. German diplomat Philipp Ackermann described the UAE as the only Arab country with which Germany has established a strategic partnership.

The article profiles German families and professionals who moved to the UAE expecting to stay only a few years but eventually built permanent lives there. Their experiences are presented as an illustration of the strong and growing cultural links between the UAE and Germany, coinciding with President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed’s planned state visit to Germany. Katja Guzmann moved to Abu Dhabi in 2018 with her husband and three children after his employer, Linde, offered him a three-year assignment. The family initially expected to remain for no more than five years, but they have since bought a house and decided that the UAE is now home. Guzmann and her daughter Lara cite the country’s safety, international communities and sense of belonging as major reasons for staying. Lara says she has greater independence in Abu Dhabi than she would have had in Germany and values her multicultural friendships. Dorina Hacker, who moved to Abu Dhabi in 2011, also expected a short stay but has now lived there for 15 years. Her daughter attended the German International School Abu Dhabi, which helped the family establish roots. Hacker says she is no longer considering a return to Germany, describing Europe as a place for holidays rather than home. Kerstin Schwappach represents a newer type of arrival: she chose the UAE independently, visited several times and then found work there. Living alone, she particularly appreciates the freedom and safety she experiences as a woman. The German International School and a German-speaking women’s group of about 250 members provide important support networks for newcomers. Together, the families’ stories depict the UAE as a secure, diverse and welcoming environment where German residents can maintain cultural connections while developing a lasting sense of belonging.