OTTAWA, CANADA / AsiaWire.IO / – Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, attended an official dinner banquet hosted by Prime Minister Mark Carney in Ottawa on Tuesday. The event honoured the Crown Prince and his delegation during his official visit to Canada, the first by an Abu Dhabi Crown Prince. Carney welcomed the guests and said he hoped the visit would deepen friendship and cooperation between Canada and the UAE.
The Crown Prince expressed his thanks to Carney for the hospitality shown to him and his delegation. He said he looked forward to a stronger strategic partnership between the two nations. Conversations at the banquet covered bilateral relations and ways to expand cooperation in various sectors. The two sides also exchanged views on topics of mutual interest. Several Canadian ministers and senior officials joined members of the official UAE delegation at the dinner.
Ministers Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Reem Al Hashimy, Thani Al Zeyoudi and Mohamed Hassan Al Suwaidi were part of the UAE delegation. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand greeted the Crown Prince when he arrived in the capital. Carney and Sheikh Khaled held talks on October 27 on trade, investment, energy and security. They also exchanged views on regional and global developments, including the Middle East and maritime security.
Trade pact cuts tariffs on Canadian exports
The two countries signed the Canada-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement during the visit, according to the Prime Minister’s Office. The pact will reduce or remove tariffs on over 99% of current Canadian exports to the UAE once fully in force. Talks wrapped up in 47 days, a record for both countries. The agreement is expected to take effect in 2027. It also addresses non-tariff barriers facing Canadian businesses.
Canadian exporters of pulses, canola, industrial machinery, aerospace products and power generation equipment stand to benefit. Fish and seafood, forestry, engineering and services firms are also covered. Bilateral merchandise trade totalled C$3.5 billion in 2025, and Canadian exports to the UAE grew by more than 10%. Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu said the deal could lift two-way trade to C$7 billion within a decade. About 60,000 Canadians live and work in the UAE.
Strategic partnership spans defence and energy
Carney and Sheikh Khaled launched a Canada-UAE Strategic Partnership covering trade, energy, technology, education, defence and diplomacy. A defence memorandum modernizes cooperation on training, joint exercises, cyber security and the defence industry, and creates a Joint Military Committee. Masdar signed an energy arrangement with Natural Resources Canada. The framework brings UAE renewable energy firms together with Canadian partners. Global Affairs Canada and the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy agreed to cooperate on diplomatic training.
The visit followed Carney’s trip to Abu Dhabi in November 2025, when the UAE pledged to invest C$70 billion in Canada. DP World has since signed a deal to develop a trade corridor through the Port of Churchill and CentrePort Canada. Canada and the UAE will also open talks on extradition and mutual legal assistance treaties. The partnership adds to Carney’s broader push for strategic autonomy through closer ties with international partners.