Canada UAE Pact Targets Investment Expansion

Canada and the United Arab Emirates have signed a landmark trade agreement and expanded their strategic partnership, seeking to turn a previously announced C$70 billion Emirati investment commitment into projects across energy, transport and technology.

The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement was signed during the visit of Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to Ottawa. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the agreement had been negotiated in 47 days and would remove or reduce tariffs on more than 99% of current Canadian exports to the UAE once fully implemented. It is expected to enter into force in 2027.

Alongside the pact, ports operator DP World signed a memorandum of understanding with Arctic Gateway Group and CentrePort Canada to examine a transport corridor linking the Port of Churchill and the Hudson Bay Railway to global logistics networks. Renewable energy company Masdar agreed a cooperation framework with Natural Resources Canada, while investment agencies outlined plans to improve business contacts. These are frameworks for future commercial activity, not evidence that the full investment commitment has already been spent.

The C$70 billion pledge was announced during Carney’s visit to the UAE in November 2025.

Ottawa says the relationship could broaden Canadian export markets and attract long-term capital, but turning political commitments into measurable foreign investment will depend on project financing, regulatory approvals and commercial demand. The latest agreements mark progress in building that pipeline rather than its completion. Neither side has published a full schedule for disbursements or implementation.