Ireland can act as a bridge between the UAE and European Union, an Irish minister has said.
Darragh O'Brien, Ireland’s Minister for Transport and Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy, said Ireland was keen to listen to how the UAE views the EU, particularly from a trade and investment perspective.
With Ireland assuming the presidency of the Council of the EU in July and talks continuing between the UAE and the bloc over a free trade deal, Mr O’Brien said this perspective was something Ireland could bring to the table for discussion.
“I see Ireland very much as a bridge for the UAE into the European Union,” Mr O’Brien told The National in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
“We're very interested to receive feedback and input from the UAE in relation to how they view the EU from a trade perspective. So, Ireland [as] an investment bridge into Europe now that Britain has left the EU, but also as a partner – two countries who have a long-standing relationship of 50 years.”
In a wide-ranging interview, Mr O’Brien reflected on this long-standing relationship, how he wanted to work with the country in areas such as renewable energy, and the outcome of the Cop30 climate talks in Brazil last month. But first, he turned to trade.
A major part of his visit, with two other Irish ministers, is the first meeting of the Ireland–UAE “joint economic commission”. Signed in April, it is one of only four Ireland has agreed to, and it aims to drive growth in areas such as trade and investment, energy, food security and healthcare technology.
One area of focus is energy – particularly renewables. About 40 per cent of electricity in 2024 in Ireland was generated by renewables, with a target of 80 per cent by 2030. Offshore wind energy is a central part of this and Ireland has a target of 37GW by 2050.
Ireland has also just reviewed its €275.4 billion national development plan, and energy is a crucial part of this. Mr O'Brien said there were “opportunities with the investment arm here in the UAE”, pointing to how the UAE has invested in the renewable sector in the UK.
“There are real opportunities to partner with them on the finance side,” he said, adding the relationship goes both ways when it comes to investment. “We'll have announcements this week from Irish firms of significant further investments here in the UAE.”
Further areas of co-operation could focus on Ireland’s plans for a floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage terminal, which remains a crucial energy source amid the rise in renewables.
“There is a lot of expertise here in relation to that and I think that's something that we can actually work on very closely together … and then … looking at the actual importation of LNG as well.”
Turning to climate and the environment, Mr O’Brien had just returned from the Cop30 climate talks in Brazil. The summit took place amid a challenging geopolitical environment, with the US skipping the talks, but did end in a deal that would boost finance for poorer nations.
While any direct mention of fossil fuels – which scientists say are driving climate change – was removed, the deal did acknowledge the UAE Consensus, the historic agreement to transition away from fossil fuels made at Cop28 in Dubai.
“They were tough negotiations, to be frank,” he said, though he praised the parties for reaching a deal. “What concerns me is that we're looking at a situation right now where we're projecting global warming to be … way above 1.5°C, and there is a realisation … we're not making the progress that we need.
“We see climate change in Ireland … I've had, in my own constituency, houses fall into the sea. We've seen extreme wet-weather events that used to be unprecedented but now are not unprecedented.”
After Cop30 ended, there was much talk about whether the event needs to be reformed. Mr O’Brien said it was a complex issue but that having an annual meeting was positive – particularly to hear from voices such as the small island states. One area of frustration, he noted, was that negotiating texts can arrive the day before the summit is due to conclude.
“That's not good and does not leave much time for movement. So those are the type of more administrative and procedural things that I think can be improved on.”
Relations between Ireland and the UAE, meanwhile, are stronger than ever. Bilateral trade has now surged to about €8bn. Next week there will also be a major investment conference – Investopia Global, featuring Abdulla bin Touq, UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism – staged in the Irish capital, Dublin. Investopia was first established by the UAE in 2021. “There'll be some significant agreements signed at that conference.”
Connectivity also continues to rise, with Emirates, for example, adding a third daily direct flight between Dubai and Dublin from October.
“The connectivity between the two regions is excellent now – and not only direct but also as a bridge. I mentioned that bridge into Europe for the UAE but also into the US,” said Mr O’Brien. “It's an obvious staging post and it is being used for that. I think that connectivity is absolutely critical because it makes it easier to work together [and] to do business together when we can meet together.”
Aside from trade, more than 14,000 Irish citizens call the UAE home – the highest number in history, and the countries' relationship stretches back decades.
“We're quite similar as countries, albeit the weather's different,” said Mr O’Brien. “We live beside big neighbours but we punch way above our weight – both in economic and diplomatic terms. Our relations are very strong, they're warm and they need to be furthered.”
