OTTAWA, CANADA / AsiaWire.IO / – Prime Minister Mark Carney hosted an official dinner banquet in Ottawa on Tuesday for Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. The banquet honoured the Crown Prince and his accompanying delegation during an official visit to Canada. It was the first visit to Canada by a Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. Carney said he expected the visit to further strengthen friendship and cooperation between Canada and the United Arab Emirates.
Sheikh Khaled thanked Carney for the warm welcome and generous hospitality extended to him and the UAE delegation. He said he looked forward to strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries. During the dinner, both sides reviewed UAE-Canada relations and ways to raise them to new levels of cooperation across various sectors. They also discussed several issues of mutual interest. Members of the UAE delegation attended, along with Canadian ministers and senior officials.
The UAE delegation included Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber and Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem Al Hashimy. Foreign Trade Minister Thani Al Zeyoudi and Investment Minister Mohamed Hassan Al Suwaidi also travelled with the Crown Prince. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand received Sheikh Khaled on his arrival in Ottawa. The two leaders also held formal talks on Parliament Hill on October 27.
New strategic partnership and trade deal signed
The leaders launched a new Canada-UAE Strategic Partnership during the visit. It covers economic ties, energy, technology, education, defence, diplomacy and cultural exchange. The two countries also signed the Canada-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. Negotiators concluded the deal in 47 days, the fastest either country has completed a free trade agreement. Once fully implemented, it will reduce or eliminate tariffs on more than 99% of current Canadian exports to the UAE.
The agreement is expected to enter into force in 2027. It covers Canadian pulses and canola, industrial machinery, power generation equipment and aerospace products. Two-way merchandise trade between the countries reached C$3.5 billion in 2025, including C$2.8 billion in Canadian exports. Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu said the deal could double two-way trade to C$7 billion over the next decade. More than 150 Canadian companies operate in the UAE.
Defence, energy and investment agreements
The visit also produced a memorandum of understanding modernizing defence cooperation, including a new Joint Military Committee. Masdar and Natural Resources Canada signed an energy cooperation arrangement. DP World agreed with Arctic Gateway Group and CentrePort Canada to develop a transport corridor linking the Port of Churchill to its global logistics network. Canada and the UAE will also launch negotiations toward an extradition treaty and a mutual legal assistance treaty.
The agreements build on Carney’s November 2025 visit to Abu Dhabi, where the UAE committed to invest C$70 billion in Canada. During that trip, both sides signed a foreign investment promotion and protection agreement, which is now in force. Carney said the two countries are building big, with the relationship reflecting their scale and ambition. The partnership adds to Carney’s wider effort to build new international alliances.