Poland in the UAE

Polish-Emirati relations are characterized by growing intensity and constant expansion of areas of cooperation. Poland is one of the countries with whom relations are a priority for the Emirates. High-level visits, as well as other numerous contacts between representatives of the public and private sectors and the expansion of the institutional infrastructure of cooperation, have paved the way for further joint business projects. Although the economy is the most important area in Polish-Emirati relations, they are also developing in the fields of culture and science. There is also a desire to establish cooperation in the field of defense.

The most important recent event in Polish-Emirati political relations was the visit of the President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda to the World Governments Summit (WGS) in Dubai in February 2025. This was his third visit to the Emirates, after a bilateral visit in March 2023 and participation in COP28 in Dubai in November-December 2023. During the last visit, the President of the Republic of Poland, in addition to participating in the WGS, held meetings with the President of the UAE Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the Ruler of the Emirate of Dubai Mohamed bin Rashid  Al Maktoum. The visit to Poland of the Emirati Minister for Foreign Trade Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi in February 2025 was also very important. He held meetings with a number of Polish ministries, mainly devoted to the development of investment cooperation.

Our bilateral relations are built on the basis of already existing successful projects, such as the investment in a logistics centre in Olsztyn by the Emirati food company LULU, which was completed in 2023. During COP28, the Emirati renewable energy company MASDAR announced another investment in Poland, made together with Taaleri Energia and Polish partner DOMREL. The investment envisages the construction of a mix of photovoltaic and wind farms generating 1 GW of energy within 5-7 years. Polish luxury catamaran manufacturer SunReef Yachts launched a new investment worth USD 100 million in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah in 2024. These are just a few examples of the rapidly developing economic relations between Poland and the UAE in recent years. Positive trends in economic cooperation are also reflected in trade turnover. The balance of goods trade in the first ten months of 2024 amounted to PLN 2.4 billion surplus on the Polish side (PLN 3.47 billion of exports and PLN 1.07 billion of imports), while in the whole of 2023 it was PLN 2.19 billion (PLN 4.58 billion of exports and PLN 2.39 billion of imports).

While the UAE is becoming an increasingly attractive place for companies and employees from all over the world, the number of Polish citizens living in the UAE is also growing rapidly and currently stands at around 9 thousand, contributing to the development of the Emirates' economy. The number of Polish companies present in the UAE is also growing rapidly. In this context, the establishment (in February 2024) of the Polish Business Council in Dubai was extremely important, grouping Polish companies present in the Emirates, and the aim of which is to expand and strengthen business ties between Poland and the UAE, as well as to increase the visibility of Polish companies in the Emirates. This will open up new opportunities for Polish investors not only in the UAE, but also, thanks to its strategic location and logistical connections, in other markets in Africa and Asia.

Another important step in deepening bilateral economic relations was the first session of the Polish-UAE Strategic Financial Dialogue, which took place in Warsaw on 7-8 July 2024. Representatives of the administration and business of both countries discussed, among others, the use of AI, the implementation of FinTech, banking cooperation and green transformation. The session was very productive, paving the way for further cooperation in this key area. Parliamentary and regional cooperation should also be mentioned. In December 2024, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland, MP Paweł Kowal, visited the Emirates. As part of the visit, he held a meeting with members of the European-UAE Friendship Committee at the Federal National Council (the Emirati equivalent of the parliament). The leader of regional cooperation on the Polish side is the Silesian Voivodeship, whose Upper Silesian Fund has its permanent representation in Abu Dhabi. The Lublin voivodeship is also developing intensive contacts with Emirati partners.