3 world leaders visit UAE in 5 days: How the country is taking global partnerships to historic heights

The country has long shared strong bonds with India, Japan, and Turkey — and the recent visits not only reinforce these ties but also expand partnerships on various fields, from trade to space exploration

Kirstin Bernabe

Published: Wed 19 Jul 2023, 3:49 PM

Last updated: Wed 19 Jul 2023, 9:43 PM

Within a span of five days, three world leaders have flown in from three continents to visit the UAE, taking historic relations to new heights.

The UAE has long shared strong bonds with India, Japan, and Turkey — and the recent visits not only reinforce these ties but also expand partnerships and cooperation on various fields, from trade to space exploration.

Over the last five days, landmark agreements were signed and commitments were made, cementing the UAE's position as a global partner.

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Here are the three world leaders who have visited the country from Saturday until today:

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi

WAM

Modi's stopover in the UAE — following a two-day trip in France — on Saturday proved to be a significant visit, where a number of key agreements were signed and exchanged.

Together with the President, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Zayed Al Nahyan, Modi witnessed the exchange of a memorandum of understanding that allows trading in local currencies (dirham and rupee), thus reducing forex-related costs. Another agreement introduces a real-time interlinking payment and messaging system for faster cross-border transactions.

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida

UAE Presidential Court/Handout via Reuters

During Kishida's first state visit to the country on Monday, his discussions with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed revolved around taking UAE-Japan ties to a new level for the next 50 years.

New pacts of cooperation were signed, covering areas of energy, space, startups, education, and climate action, among others.

While a couple of deals were exchanged at Abu Dhabi’s Qasr Al Watan in front of the two leaders, as many as 23 agreements and MoUs were inked at the UAE-Japan Business Forum involving government entities and companies.

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan

UAE Ministry of Presidential Affairs / AFP

On Tuesday night, Erdogan arrived in Abu Dhabi — the last stop in his Gulf tour that included Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Through his visits to the Arab nations. The Turkish president was welcomed at Qasr Al Watan with a 21-gun artillery salute. He was later conferred with the Order of Zayed.

The UAE and Turkey are forging ahead with their strong and dynamic partnership, as proven by the recent signing of the landmark Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (Cepa).

At Qasr Al Watan, the UAE President, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan witnessed the exchange of several agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) that promise to enhance collaboration even further.

The agreements – estimated to be worth $50.7 billion – are aimed at diversifying the UAE-Turkey Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement framework and deepening investment between both nations across strategic sectors.

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