BERLIN / RankWire.AI / – UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrived in Berlin on Wednesday for a state visit to Germany. German military aircraft escorted his plane after it entered German airspace. An official reception followed, including a 21-gun salute and a guard of honour. The visit marks the first state visit to Germany by a UAE president. Sheikh Mohamed is in Germany for meetings with the country’s senior political leadership.
The UAE president traveled with a senior delegation covering foreign affairs, trade, industry, defence, national security and advanced technology. It includes Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Industry and Advanced Technology Minister Sultan Al Jaber. Foreign Trade Minister Thani Al Zeyoudi and Minister of State Lana Nusseibeh are also part of the delegation. Several presidential advisers and other senior UAE officials accompanied Sheikh Mohamed to Berlin.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will receive Sheikh Mohamed at Villa Borsig on Thursday as the official program continues. The two presidents will hold talks with their delegations after the ceremonial welcome. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will then receive Sheikh Mohamed at the Federal Chancellery during the afternoon. Germany’s government says their talks will cover economic relations, the strategic partnership and regional peace and stability. Regional and international developments also form part of the visit’s official agenda.
Strategic partnership and economic ties in focus
The UAE and Germany established diplomatic relations in 1972 and signed a strategic partnership agreement in 2004. That framework covers political dialogue, trade, investment and cooperation across several economic sectors. UAE figures released ahead of the visit put bilateral trade at about 13.6 billion euros in 2025. That represented an increase of roughly 15% from the previous year. Around 2,000 German companies operate in the UAE, reflecting commercial links built over more than five decades.
Energy and technology also form established parts of UAE-Germany cooperation. Abu Dhabi renewable energy company Masdar owns a 49% stake in Germany’s 476-megawatt Baltic Eagle offshore wind farm. The project became fully operational in July 2025 and can supply electricity to about 475,000 homes. ADNOC and German energy company RWE also agreed in February to explore liquefied natural gas supply opportunities for Germany and other European markets.
Berlin program continues with senior-level talks
The German presidential program includes direct talks between Steinmeier and Sheikh Mohamed, followed by discussions involving their delegations. Steinmeier will also host a state banquet in honor of the UAE president on Thursday evening. Merz is due to meet Sheikh Mohamed at the Chancellery at about 4 p.m. local time. The German government identified stronger bilateral economic relations and the wider strategic partnership among the meeting’s main subjects.
The state visit follows Merz’s trip to the Gulf region in February, when he met Sheikh Mohamed in Abu Dhabi. Their latest scheduled meeting brings the two leaders together again within the UAE-Germany strategic partnership. Sheikh Mohamed previously visited Germany in 2019 while serving as Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and met Steinmeier during that trip. His current visit is his first state visit to Germany as president of the United Arab Emirates.