Dr Sultan Al Jaber discusses strengthening relations with Austria on official visit to Vienna

Masdar and OMV sign letter of intent to work together on green hydrogen production

Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, left, with Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker in Vienna. Wam

Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, held meetings with senior government officials and business leaders during an official visit to Austria on Wednesday.

The UAE's eagerness to build on bilateral relations established in the 2021 trade agreement between the nations was at the forefront of Dr Al Jaber's discussions, state news agency Wam reported.

Accompanied by Hamad Al Kaabi, UAE Ambassador to Austria, Dr Al Jaber met Christian Stocker, Chancellor of Austria. Dr Al Jaber conveyed the best wishes of the UAE leadership to Mr Stocker for the continued progress and prosperity of Austria.

Dr Al Jaber also discussed new avenues of collaboration in key areas such as industry, technology and energy with Austria’s Foreign Minister, Beate Meinl-Reisinger.

Discussions with Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer, Austrian Minister of Economy and Energy, included ways to increase collaboration in energy, renewables, petrochemicals, advanced industry and technology, infrastructure and data centres.

Dr Al Jaber also met Alexander Pröll, secretary general of the People's Party and State Secretary for Public Services and Digital Transformation. They talked about using technology across government sectors to enhance efficiency and drive innovation.

During the visit, Masdar and Austrian energy company OMV signed a letter of intent to work together on the production of green hydrogen, sustainable synthetic fuels and chemicals in Austria, the UAE and Europe.

The value of non-oil bilateral trade between the UAE and Austria reached approximately Dh6.7 billion (US$1.8 billion) in 2024, a 28 per cent increase on 2023, according to Wam.

This growth was driven by a 248 per cent surge in exports, particularly of pearls, precious metals and machinery. Imports rose by 21 per cent, and re-exports grew by 15 per cent.

In the first quarter of 2025, bilateral trade between the countries increased by 54.5 per cent year-on-year. Exports more than tripled, while imports rose by close to 42 per cent. Pearls, precious metals, and machinery continued to lead export growth, Wam reported.