Canada-UAE Roundtable Sets the Stage for Deeper Commercial Engagement
Ottawa, June 19, 2025 — The Canada-UAE Business Council (CUBC), in collaboration with Global Affairs Canada and the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Ottawa, convened a high-level business roundtable earlier today, chaired by the Honourable Jean Charest, Co-Chair of the CUBC and Partner, Therrien Couture Joli-Coeur.
The event brought together key public and private-sector leaders to advance bilateral trade and investment priorities. Attendees included the Honourable Maninder Sidhu, Canada’s Minister of International Trade; His Excellency Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade; His Excellency Sultan Al Mansoori, UAE Foreign Minister’s Special Envoy to Canada; Their Excellencies Kris Panday, Ambassador of Canada to the UAE, and Abdulrahman Al Neyadi, UAE Ambassador to Canada; Sara Wilshaw, Canada’s Chief Trade Commissioner; Senator Mohamed Al Zaibak; and Karl Tabbakh, Chairman of Invest in Canada.
The roundtable also featured senior executives from priority sectors representing some of the most promising areas for collaboration as both countries pursue diversified and innovation-led growth including advanced technology (with a particular focus on artificial intelligence), energy and natural resources, finance, logistics, and infrastructure.
The gathering marked a renewed phase of strategic economic cooperation, reflecting the shared ambition of Canada and the UAE to deepen bilateral commercial relations and drive high-impact investments in areas of mutual interest. Discussions addressed upcoming official visits and high-level engagements, and unveiled plans for the inaugural Canada-UAE Investment Summit, set to take place in Abu Dhabi in December 2025.
The CUBC is proud to have played a convening role in this important dialogue and looks forward to continuing to support meaningful, cross-sector collaboration between Canadian and Emirati partners.
