UAE and Canada move to delivery: package of agreements across 7 sectors under a CAD70bn investment framework

UAE Minister of Foreign Trade Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi witnessed the signing of a package of agreements, memoranda of understanding and partnerships between institutions and companies from the UAE and Canada, covering seven sectors: space, advanced technology, logistics, ports, education, housing and food security.

The signing took place in the presence of HE Eng. Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, the UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs' Envoy to Canada, and HE Abdulrahman Ali Al-Mur Al-Nyadi, the UAE Ambassador to Canada. Al Zeyoudi said the agreements fall under the UAE-Canada investment framework worth CAD70 billion, reflecting both sides' commitment to turning promising opportunities into quality projects and partnerships that boost investment flows and support sustainable growth.

The minister added that these partnerships build on the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement signed between the two countries and the opportunities it offers to facilitate trade in goods and services, ease capital flows and strengthen supply chain resilience. He urged the business communities in both countries to make full use of the agreement and said he looks forward to more joint projects as the strategic relationship gains momentum.

The package came on the same day that His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney witnessed the signing of the CEPA in Ottawa. The relationship rests on rising numbers: non-oil trade between the two countries reached CAD5.9 billion, about US$4.2 billion, in 2025, up 21 per cent, and around CAD2.85 billion in the first half of 2026, up 19 per cent year on year. The investment framework was announced in November 2025 and targets sectors including clean energy, mining, artificial intelligence, food industries, aviation, space and infrastructure.

Al Majlis Analysis: The clearest message from this package is the shift from broad frameworks to sector-by-sector delivery. A comprehensive partnership agreement opens doors by cutting tariffs and simplifying procedures, but it is deals between companies and institutions that turn those open doors into real projects. Notably, the chosen sectors combine areas where Canada has deep expertise, such as space, education and housing, with areas where the UAE has a clear edge, such as ports and logistics, alongside food security, a long-standing Emirati priority. Signing the package only hours after the CEPA also suggests both sides had a ready list of projects prepared in advance, which makes non-oil trade growth over the coming quarters a direct measure of whether this track succeeds.