Italy–United Arab Emirates relations

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Italy–United Arab Emirates relations
Italy United Arab Emirates Locator.svg
Flag of Italy.svg
Italy 		Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg
United Arab Emirates
Diplomatic mission
Embassy of Italy, Abu DhabiEmbassy of the United Arab Emirates, Rome
Envoy
Ambassador Lorenzo Fanara [1] Ambassador Abdulla Ali AlSubousi [2]

Italy and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) enjoy good diplomatic relations. [3] Italy has an embassy in Abu Dhabi and a consulate-general in Dubai. [4] The UAE has an embassy in Rome. [5]

Contents

History

Italy and the United Arab Emirates established diplomatic relationships in 1971, with Italy opening its embassy in Abu Dhabi in 1979, and the UAE opening its embassy in Rome in 1981. [6] In 2021, Italy opened an Italian Cultural Institute in Abu Dhabi to promote the Italian language and culture and to organize events centered around Italy. [7] [8]

A diplomatic rift between Italy and the United Arab Emirates arose when the first Conte government partially suspended arm sales to the UAE in 2019, due to the UAE's involvement in the Yemeni civil war, with the second Conte government finally halting them in January 2021. [9] In June of the same year, the Emirati government responded by ordering the withdrawal of all Italian aircraft and personnel from the Al Minhad Air Base. [10] In July 2021, the Draghi government partially lifted the arms embargo, which was ultimately fully revoked in April 2023 by the Meloni government. [9]

The first state visit exchanged between Italy and the United Arab Emirates occurred in February 2025, when the president of the UAE Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited Rome. [11] [12] In that context, Meloni and Mohamed signed multiple agreements, for a total of a $40 billion investment deal, to expand cooperation in areas including aerospace, defense, and energy. [13] [14] These agreements signaled an improvement in the relations between Italy and the UAE after the 2021 diplomatic incidents. [15]

Trade

In 2024, bilateral trade between Italy and the United Arab Emirates reached €9.9 billion, with Italian export to the UAE accounting for €7.9 billion. [16]

Resident diplomatic missions

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The Ambassador". Ambasciata d'Italia Abu Dhabi. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
  2. ↑ "About the Ambassador". United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
  3. ↑ Fanara, Lorenzo (30 January 2026). "Italy and the UAE are champions of stability". The National. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  4. 1 2 "Rete diplomatico-consolare" [Italian Missions abroad]. Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale (in Italian). Retrieved 31 January 2026.
  5. 1 2 "UAE Missions in Italian Republic". United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
  6. ↑ "Bilateral Relations". United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
  7. ↑ Nigro, Vincenzo (13 November 2021). "Abu Dhabi, l'Italia rilancia la diplomazia con la cultura" [Abu Dhabi, Italy relaunches diplomacy through culture]. la Repubblica (in Italian). Retrieved 31 January 2026.
  8. ↑ "About us". Istituto Italiano di Cultura Abu Dhabi. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
  9. 1 2 "Il governo italiano ha revocato il divieto di vendere armi agli Emirati Arabi Uniti" [The Italian government has lifted the ban on selling arms to the United Arab Emirates]. il Post (in Italian). 17 April 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  10. ↑ "UAE sets deadline for Italy to vacate airbase, Italian government source says". Reuters. 28 June 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  11. ↑ "Italy-Emirates, Mattarella: Grateful to President Bin Zayed for the exchange of views". Agenzia Nova. 24 February 2025. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  12. ↑ "Bilateral relations". Ambasciata d'Italia Abu Dhabi. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  13. ↑ Indeo, Fabio (15 August 2025). "Forging Cooperation: Italy and the UAE in a New Global Economic Landscape". TRENDS Research & Advisory. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  14. ↑ AlKetbi, Ebtesam (3 March 2025). "The UAE and Italy: Deepening Strategic Partnership in a Turbulent International Landscape". Emirates Policy Center. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  15. ↑ "The Italy-UAE Partnership: A Bridge to Europe". Institute for International Political Studies. 27 February 2025. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  16. ↑ "Economic Diplomacy". Ambasciata d'Italia Abu Dhabi. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
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