United Arab Emirates

Independent since 1971, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a federation of six emirates. The UAE borders with Saudi Arabia to the west and south, with Oman to the east and with the Persian Gulf to the west. The population is about 10 million, mostly consisting of migrant workers and their families. The official language is Arabic.

After its independence, the country witnessed rapid economic growth, thanks to its oil and gas reserves. This, along with the bolstering of diplomatic relations with both Western and Asian countries, has allowed the Emirates to acquire great political importance on the international stage. In recent times, the UAE has begun to strengthen its defence and security system, and today the country boasts one of the most technologically advanced armies in the region. On 15 September 2020, with the ratification of the Abraham Accords, the UAE, together with Bahrain, became the third Arab country to recognize the State of Israel, after Egypt and Jordan. The country is also actively engaged in promoting intercultural and interreligious dialogue across the region.

Over the years, commercial relations between the UAE and Italy have progressively grown. Italy is one of the main suppliers of the UAE and, concurrently, an important market for Emirati investments.

Italian-Emirati collaboration spans a variety of sectors, from security to science and culture. One example of this is the recent opening of the Italian Cultural Institute in Abu Dhabi, the first of its kind in Gulf countries.