The United Arab Emirates and Austria have continued to strengthen bilateral relations across trade, investment, and innovation-driven sectors, supporting long-term economic cooperation and sustainable growth.
Against this backdrop, Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade, led a high-level Emirati delegation to Vienna, where he held discussions to enhance economic cooperation with Austria and the broader European Union.
During the visit, Dr. Al Zeyoudi met with Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer, Austria’s Minister for Economy, Energy and Tourism.
The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral trade and investment relations and signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish the Austria-UAE High-Level Dialogue Platform.
The platform is intended to support stronger cooperation between government institutions and the private sectors of both countries.
The two ministers also co-chaired the 2nd UAE-Austria Joint Economic Committee (JEC) Meeting, where discussions focused on cooperation in technology, renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, and supply chain development.
The meeting reviewed ongoing initiatives and explored new areas of collaboration to support future economic growth.
Dr. Al Zeyoudi stated that, “The UAE serves as a gateway not only to the Gulf but also to markets around the world, providing an important and resilient hub on global trade routes. With our robust infrastructure and business-friendly environment, we are determined to simplify trade, modernize supply chains, and accelerate growth opportunities for all our partners.”
Mr. Hattmannsdorfer described the UAE as an important strategic partner for Austria in the Middle East, particularly in areas related to energy diversification and future technologies.
Hattmannsdorfer noted that the establishment of the new dialogue platform would help strengthen economic connectivity, investment cooperation, and innovation partnerships between the two countries.
Bilateral non-oil trade between the UAE and Austria reached $2.1 billion in 2025, marking a 16.4 percent increase compared to 2024 and an 87.7 percent rise since 2019, reflecting the continued expansion of economic ties.
The visit also highlighted increasing engagement between the private sectors of both countries, supported by recent business roundtables and discussions aimed at identifying new investment and partnership opportunities.
The Joint Economic Committee meeting also marked the 50th anniversary of the bilateral Joint Commission on Economic, Industrial, and Technical Cooperation established in 1976, underlining the long-standing economic relationship between the UAE and Austria.
