BERLIN / RankWire.AI / – UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrived in Berlin on Wednesday for a state visit to Germany. German military aircraft escorted the presidential plane after it entered national airspace. Officials welcomed Sheikh Mohamed with a 21-gun salute and a guard of honour. The visit is the first state visit to Germany by a UAE president. It also brings Sheikh Mohamed into meetings with Germany’s top political leaders during a formal program in Berlin.
Sheikh Mohamed traveled with senior UAE officials responsible for foreign affairs, trade, industry, defence, national security and advanced technology. The delegation includes Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Industry and Advanced Technology Minister Sultan Al Jaber. Foreign Trade Minister Thani Al Zeyoudi and Minister of State Lana Nusseibeh also joined the visit. Presidential advisers and other senior officials accompanied the UAE leader as both countries prepared for high-level political and economic talks.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is scheduled to receive Sheikh Mohamed at Villa Borsig on Thursday. Their meeting will include talks between the two presidents and discussions involving their delegations. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will receive Sheikh Mohamed later at the Federal Chancellery. Germany’s government says the agenda includes bilateral economic relations, the strategic partnership and regional peace and stability. Regional and international developments also feature in the official program for the state visit.
Economic links frame high-level meetings
The UAE and Germany established diplomatic relations in 1972 and signed a strategic partnership agreement in 2004. That relationship covers political dialogue, investment, trade and cooperation across several sectors. UAE figures released before the visit put bilateral trade at about 13.6 billion euros in 2025. The total rose by roughly 15% from the previous year. Around 2,000 German companies operate in the UAE, reflecting the depth of commercial ties between the two countries.
Energy and technology also form part of the existing UAE-Germany relationship. Abu Dhabi renewable energy company Masdar holds a 49% stake in Germany’s Baltic Eagle offshore wind farm. The 476-megawatt project became fully operational in July 2025. It can supply electricity to about 475,000 homes. ADNOC and German energy company RWE also agreed in February to explore liquefied natural gas supply opportunities for Germany and other European markets.
Berlin visit builds on recent exchanges
Steinmeier’s program includes formal talks with Sheikh Mohamed before discussions continue with both delegations. The German president will also host a state banquet for the UAE leader on Thursday evening. Merz is due to meet Sheikh Mohamed at the Chancellery during the afternoon. The German government has identified stronger economic relations and the wider strategic partnership among the main subjects. The meetings place trade, investment and regional issues at the center of the Berlin program.
The state visit follows Merz’s trip to the Gulf region in February, when he met Sheikh Mohamed in Abu Dhabi. Their latest meeting continues direct contact between the UAE and German leadership. Sheikh Mohamed also visited Germany in 2019 while serving as Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. During that trip, he met Steinmeier and other German officials. His current visit marks his first state visit to Germany since becoming president of the United Arab Emirates.
