Ottawa – The Honourable Maninder Sidhu, Minister of International Trade, signed a comprehensive economic partnership agreement with His Excellency Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on October 26, 2026. This development occurred during a visit by His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, to Ottawa from October 26 to 27, 2026. The press release states that the agreement “will enhance trade and investment opportunities between Canada and the UAE.” The statement does not address the specific terms of the agreement, including its duration or key sectors of focus. — the full statement has further detail.
Context
This signing represents the latest step in Canada’s efforts to diversify its trade relationships beyond traditional partners in Europe and the United States. In September 2026, the Minister of International Trade, Maninder Sidhu, met with the UAE’s Minister of Foreign Trade, Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, on the margins of the Canada Investment Summit in Toronto. This earlier meeting, as documented in a separate press release from October 16, 2026, aimed to “deepen trade and investment ties” between the two nations. The signing follows a meeting between Minister Anita Anand and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the UAE, on October 23, 2026, during which the pair celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Canada EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).
The UAE has emerged as a key strategic partner for Canada in recent years, particularly in areas of defence and security. The statement does not mention any specific areas of cooperation beyond trade and investment. Should the visit yield further discussions, as appears likely given the Crown Prince’s presence, Ottawa will continue to pursue closer ties with Gulf states.
What to Watch
The statement does not mention when the agreement will come into effect. The press release indicates only that the agreement has been signed. The Ministry of International Trade has not released further details on the agreement’s implementation timeline. Should the visit yield commitments regarding specific investment projects, the Canadian government will likely issue a further statement. The agreement’s impact on Canadian exports and imports remains to be seen.
The statement does not address the broader geopolitical context of Canada’s engagement with the UAE. It is part of a broader trend of Canada seeking to strengthen relationships with countries in the Middle East, following a series of meetings in September and October 2026 with various UAE ministers.
Sources & Further Reading
- Official press release
- Foreign ministry source
- Minister Sidhu meets with United Arab Emirates’ Minister of Foreign Trade (17 Septemb)
- Minister Anand meets with United Arab Emirates’ Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs (16 October)
- Minister Sidhu meets with Ireland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Minister for Defence (23 October)
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