UAE and Canada elevate ties to a Strategic Partnership, call for end to occupation of the three islands
The UAE and Canada have elevated their bilateral relations to a Strategic Partnership, according to the joint statement issued by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, on the occasion of His Highness's first official visit to Canada, held in Ottawa on 26 and 27 October 2026 with a delegation of senior ministers. The visit follows Carney's trip to the UAE in November 2025 and the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations marked in 2024, and the partnership sets up a mechanism for regular dialogue and coordination between the two governments.
On the economic side, the two leaders witnessed the signing of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), whose negotiations were concluded in just 47 days, on 24 July 2026. Bilateral merchandise trade reached about CAD 3.5 billion in 2025. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the Canada-UAE Investment Framework and the UAE's commitment to facilitate up to CAD 70 billion in strategic investment opportunities in Canada. Abu Dhabi Chamber signed a memorandum of understanding with Invest in Canada, and Masdar signed an energy cooperation arrangement with Natural Resources Canada to facilitate investment in renewable energy and energy storage.
On defence, the leaders welcomed the conclusion of a Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Cooperation that expands engagement in joint exercises, cybersecurity, information sharing, digital transformation and professional military exchanges, and establishes a Joint Military Committee to advance strategic dialogue. The two countries also announced their intention to launch negotiations on a bilateral extradition treaty and a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty in criminal matters. The statement went on to cover artificial intelligence, space, critical minerals, food security and water, with the UAE welcoming Canada's participation in the 2026 United Nations Water Conference, which Abu Dhabi co-hosts with Senegal from 8 to 10 December.
Under the heading of sovereignty and international law, both countries reaffirmed their commitment to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and to international law, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-interference in internal affairs and the peaceful resolution of disputes. The statement called for an end to the occupation of the UAE's three islands, Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa, which constitutes a violation of the sovereignty of the UAE and of the principles of the Charter of the United Nations. Iran objected to the statement's wording on the islands.
Al Majlis Analysis: The value of the statement is that it did not treat the three islands as an isolated item but placed them inside a full partnership that starts with trade and investment, runs through defence, energy, technology and water, and ends with international law. When Canada, a G7 member, adopts this wording in a formal joint document issued in its prime minister's name, it gives the UAE position additional weight in the language of international partnerships, which rests on respect for sovereignty and the peaceful settlement of disputes. At the same time, the economic and defence package shows that the partnership is not built on a single clause but on long-term mutual interests, from the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement to the Joint Military Committee and projects in energy and artificial intelligence. That makes the islands clause part of a wider vision rather than a passing remark, and reflects the UAE's diplomatic approach of building alliances through economics and trust together.