UAE President Sheikh Mohamed on Friday called for a week-long celebration, beginning on January 29, to honour Kuwait and reaffirm the “enduring bond” between the two nations.
“Kuwait has been a long-standing supporter and partner of the UAE since before the Union,” Sheikh Mohamed wrote in a post on X. “For one week this coming 29 January onwards, we encourage our community to honour this enduring bond and celebrate Kuwait, its leadership and its people.”
The UAE and Kuwait share a long history of strategic relations. Kuwait was among the first nations to forge diplomatic ties with the newly formed UAE in 1971, and over the decades, these relations have broadened across political, economic, cultural and security spheres. In recent years, the two countries have deepened co-operation through formal mechanisms, including joint higher committee meetings.
Following the announcement, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, UAE Vice-President and Ruler of Dubai, instructed all federal entities to implement Sheikh Mohamed's directives to celebrate “the decades of brotherhood between us and our sister nation, Kuwait”.
“The bonds we share with Kuwait are unbreakable,” said Sheikh Mohammed.
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, also directed the emirate's government to participate in honouring the UAE's bonds with Kuwait.
“Kuwait is part of us, and we are part of it. The UAE community will never forget its historic stances, and our brotherhood will remain steadfast forever,” added Sheikh Hamdan.
Last month, President Sheikh Mohamed visited Kuwait where he met the Emir, Sheikh Meshal.
A new Kuwaiti embassy opened in Abu Dhabi in September 2024. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, joined Abdullah Ali Al Yahya, Foreign Minister of Kuwait, at the inauguration.
They also witnessed the signing of eight memorandums of understanding and a number of executive programmes in areas such as infrastructure, communications, education, sports, culture, cyber security and defence during the fifth session of the UAE-Kuwait Joint Higher Committee.
Economically, the partnership between the UAE and Kuwait is growing. The total trade exchange between the two countries amounted to Dh44.8 billion ($12.2 billion) in 2023, according to figures provided by the UAE Ministry of Finance.
