President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed arrived in Berlin on Wednesday to begin a state visit to Germany aimed at bolstering ties between the nations.
The President's plane was escorted to the airport by military aircraft after it entered German airspace, state news agency Wam reported.
Sheikh Mohamed was greeted with a 21-gun salute and a guard of honour in Berlin.
The UAE leader is meeting German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Friedrich Merz to explore efforts to deepen co-operation, with a focus on economic and development sectors.
Diplomatic ties between the countries were established in 1972 and have enjoyed sustained growth in the years since, supported by the signing of the strategic partnership in 2004.
The UAE has cemented its position as Germany's most important partner in the Gulf, with bilateral trade between the nations exceeding $15.5 billion in 2025.
About 2,000 German businesses have set up offices in the UAE, including BMW, Siemens, ThyssenKrupp, and the railway company Deutsche Bahn, which played an important role in establishing Etihad Rail’s first freight services.
The UAE and Germany have worked closely to strengthen energy security and accelerate the transition from traditional fossil fuels to clean and renewable energy.
Germany's 476-megawatt Baltic Eagle offshore wind farm is a prime example of how partnerships across the country are driving progress.
Boosting ties
The project, in which Abu Dhabi's Masdar holds a 49 per cent stake valued at €488 million, became fully operational in July, 2025.
The wind farm provides electricity to about 475,000 homes and prevents about 800,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions being generated annually.
A strategic collaboration between Abu Dhabi's Adnoc and German energy company and RWE to explore opportunities for the supply of liquefied natural gas to Germany and European markets was agreed as part of the German Chancellor's visit to the UAE in February.
Mr Merz also toured Adnoc's headquarters as part of his official visit to the UAE, underlining the growing UAE-Germany strategic energy partnership.
In June, Badr Jafar, special envoy of the UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs for business and philanthropy, visited Germany and held more than a dozen meetings with senior executives from some of its largest companies and institutions.
The engagements – also attended by Ahmed Alattar, UAE ambassador to Germany – in Dusseldorf and Munich underscored the growing role of private sector partnerships in strengthening economic ties, the ministry said at the time.
Sheikh Mohamed made an official visit to Germany in 2019, in his previous capacity as Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
He also met Mr Steinmeier during that visit and described the UAE and Germany as anchors of peace and stability in their respective regions.
