Pulse of a strategic partnership Following President Aliyev’s visit to Abu Dhabi

On December 17, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev arrived in the United Arab Emirates, where he took part in the opening ceremony of the global sports tournament “Games of the Future 2025” in Abu Dhabi. During the visit, he held a meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The two heads of state discussed a wide range of issues related to the development of Azerbaijani–Emirati cooperation, noting the successful advancement of relations based on strategic partnership. Politics, economy, energy—including renewable sources—culture, humanitarian initiatives, and technological collaboration now encompass an increasingly broad spectrum of the bilateral agenda.

The presidents emphasised that regular reciprocal visits play a key role in strengthening ties. Undoubtedly, the current visit of the Azerbaijani leader will mark a new milestone on the path toward further rapprochement between the two countries.

Over the past three decades, relations between Azerbaijan and the UAE have evolved from diplomatic contacts into a genuine strategic partnership. Diplomatic relations were established in 1992, shortly after Azerbaijan regained its independence. Initially, interactions were mostly formal, but everything changed following President Ilham Aliyev’s visit to the Emirates in November 2006. It was then that the cooperation gained real substance and sustainable momentum.

The culmination of this trajectory was the visit of UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to Azerbaijan in September 2025. Symbolically, the talks took place in Shusha, in the very heart of liberated Karabakh. This event not only lent special symbolism to the relations but also underscored Abu Dhabi’s respect for Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.

The results of the visit are impressive: in Shusha, a package of 14 documents was signed, including the Joint Declaration on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which elevated bilateral relations to a fundamentally new level. The signed agreements cover nearly all key sectors—energy, transport, industry, digitalisation, tourism, education, and the banking sector. Among them are a Memorandum of Cooperation in Green Energy between Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Energy and Masdar, an agreement to establish the Azerbaijan–UAE Joint Business Council, as well as arrangements for projects in artificial intelligence and transport.

During the Shusha talks, the leaders emphasised the importance of already implemented projects, including the Garadagh 230 MW solar power plant, developed by the aforementioned company, Masdar. This facility has become the largest in the Caspian region and a symbol of Azerbaijan’s green energy policy. Its expected annual output of 500 million kWh will save 110 million cubic meters of gas and prevent the emission of 265,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

An important aspect of Azerbaijan–UAE relations is humanitarian cooperation. The UAE allocated $5 million to the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) for the clearance of liberated territories, an act that represented not only humanitarian but also political support.

In addition, Abu Dhabi hosted in July 2025 the meeting between President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia—the first direct, mediator-free encounter—demonstrating the UAE’s readiness to promote peace and stability in the South Caucasus.

Cultural and humanitarian ties have also become a significant pillar of the strategic partnership. In 2024, a Sheikh Zayed Arabic Language Classroom was inaugurated at the Azerbaijan University of Languages, symbolising the spiritual and educational closeness between the two nations.

Visa-free travel, dozens of direct flights, a growing tourist flow, and joint cultural projects strengthen human connections—the very “soft power” that gives the bilateral relationship its resilience and depth.

All of this is reinforced by the high personal level of understanding and trust between the leaders of the two countries. It is no coincidence that Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan call each other “brothers.” Today’s meeting of the two heads of state undoubtedly contributed both to strengthening their personal friendship and to further elevating the framework of strategic cooperation between the UAE and Azerbaijan.