Joint statement - A Strategic Partnership Focused on the Future : 17th Session of the UAE-France Strategic Dialogue (23 may 2025)

"In continuation of the longstanding strategic partnership between the United Arab Emirates and the French Republic, and consistent with the guidance of H.H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and H.E. Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, the 17th session of the UAE-France Strategic Dialogue was held in Paris on May 21, 2025.

Co-chaired by H.E. Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority, and H.E. Anne-Marie Descôtes, Secretary-General of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the strategic dialogue builds upon the longstanding strategic partnership between the UAE and France.

For more than fifty years, the UAE and France have forged an exceptional relationship marked by friendship, mutual trust and landmark initiatives such as the Louvre Abu Dhabi and Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi. The 2025 Strategic Dialogue facilitated cooperation between the UAE and France in six priority fields: economy, education, culture, space, nuclear energy, and health. In each of these areas, the two sides reached consensus on renewed and joint initiatives. The dialogue also reinforced a future-oriented strategic partnership with a growing emphasis on emerging areas of shared interest – most notably, artificial intelligence.

In light of the sustained diplomatic momentum between the UAE and France, this year’s Strategic Dialogue witnessed the signing of the Political Consultations Memorandum of Understanding, establishing a formal and recurring framework for high-level political dialogue between the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. The MoU was signed by H.E. Lana Nusseibeh, Assistant Minister for Political Affairs, and H.E. Frédéric Mondoloni, Director General for Political and Security Affairs, following the first bilateral political consultations session ever to take place between the UAE and France, held in Paris on April 8, 2025. The session, co-chaired by H.E. Lana Nusseibeh and H.E. Frédéric Mondoloni, provided an opportunity for both sides to exchange strategic assessments and policy perspectives on regional developments, multilateral cooperation, and shared priorities in global governance. The signing reflects a mutual resolve to institutionalize political coordination at the highest levels and to anchor the strategic partnership in a structured, forward-looking diplomatic architecture.

Both sides commended the remarkable strength of the bilateral economic relationship and expressed their intent to build on the momentum embodied by the official visit of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to Paris in February 2025, which paved the way for both countries to materialize their shared ambition of becoming strategic partners in artificial intelligence.

The co-chairs welcomed the major Emirati investment announced during the Choose France Summit to further expand this strategic partnership in AI. The two sides reviewed the ongoing implementation of the strategic bilateral investment partnerships signed in December 2021. They also discussed various strategic projects in the fields of investments, transportation (including air transport), technology, and energy between UAE and French companies. Both sides commended the announcement to launch negotiations toward a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the UAE and the European Union.

The two sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to education by the expansion and support of the French school network as well as the teaching of French as a third language in public schools. It was agreed that consideration for the possibility of implementation of French language from primary school (cycle one) onwards could yield even greater outcomes, and the UAE Ministry of Education will study the feasibility of integrating French into the school curriculum. They reviewed the ongoing collaboration in higher education and expressed satisfaction with the development of Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, with many key projects and growth in student enrollment. In addition, Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi will be renewing the 10-year agreement in 2026. Both parties welcomed the successes in new technologies, particularly the development of 42 Abu Dhabi, the launch of Rubika’s video game design program, and the collaboration between École Polytechnique and the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence.

Building on this momentum, a conference on research and innovation, set to be held in Abu Dhabi by the end of 2025, could serve as a significant milestone in further strengthening and shaping the future of the bilateral relationship.

Both parties welcomed the success of the Louvre Abu Dhabi as the flagship of the bilateral cultural partnership and expressed their shared interest in pursuing further cooperation on the museum. They highlighted the strategic partnership between the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) and Agence France Muséums, particularly through the Muséopro training program. They welcomed the progress of discussions on the restoration of the Grand Trianon in Versailles.

In relation to space cooperation, both sides emphasized their intention to broaden cooperation in the field of exploration, particularly in human spaceflight. They also confirmed their commitment to fostering a space ecosystem between French and Emirati stakeholders. More broadly, they committed to reinforce their strategic partnership by exploring new initiatives such as establishing common infrastructures, joint projects, and a French-Emirati Space Hub.

In relation to nuclear energy, both sides reaffirmed their strong partnership in the field of peaceful nuclear energy. They welcome acknowledging the continued cooperation between the Emirates Nuclear Energy Company, the UAE’s Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation, and leading French institutions, including Électricité de France, French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), Framatome, Andra, and the French Authority for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection (ASNR). Both sides underscored their shared commitment to supporting the Tripling Nuclear Energy initiative and exploring future opportunities in advanced reactor technologies, small modular reactors (SMRs), nuclear fuel assurance, cybersecurity, and sustainable hydrogen production.

In the health sector, both sides discussed a range of mutually significant topics aimed at strengthening bilateral healthcare cooperation. The discussions encompassed academic and hospital collaboration, the facilitation of international patient care, and joint engagements with international partners such as the OECD and Sanofi. In addition, both sides explored opportunities in advanced fields, including artificial intelligence (AI) training and genomics, reflecting a shared commitment to innovation and the advancement of healthcare systems in both nations.

In addition, the Strategic Dialogue included a productive discussion on regional and international files. Both parties expressed their continued commitment to peace, stability, and security in line with international law and emphasized the need to find just and sustainable solutions to the crises in the region.

UAE attendees at the Strategic Dialogue included H.E. Dr. Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the President; H.E. Ahmed Al Sayegh, Minister of State; H.E. Lana Nusseibeh, Assistant Minister for Political Affairs; H.E. Sara Musallam, Chairperson of Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge; H.E. Saood Al Hosani, Undersecretary of Department of Culture and Tourism; H.E. Hamad Al Kaabi, Permanent Representative of the UAE to the International Atomic Energy Agency and UAE Ambassador to Austria; H.E. Dr. Rashed Al Suwaidi, Director General, Abu Dhabi Public Health Center; and Mohsen Al Awadhi, Director of Space Missions Department at the UAE Space Agency.

France attendees at the Strategic Dialog included Frédéric Mondoloni, Director General of Political and Security Affairs; Anne Grillo, Director General for Global Affairs, and Cultural and Economic Diplomacy; Claire Cheremetinski, Deputy Head of the Treasury; Emmanuel Lebrun-Damiens, Director for Cultural, Educational, Academic and Scientific Diplomacy; Donato Giorgi, Director for European and International Relations of the Ministry of Higher Education and Research; Yannick Faure, Director for Legal and International Affairs of the Ministry of Culture; Christophe Venet, Director for International Affairs of the National Centre for Space Studies; Pascal Chaix, Deputy Director for International Relations of the Atomic Energy Commission; Georges-Fabrice Blum, Senior Advisor for the Healthcare business sector.

The delegations also included ambassadors to both countries, as well as officials from key entities representing priority sectors in the UAE and France.

At the conclusion of the 17th session of the UAE-France Strategic Dialogue, both sides emphasized their unwavering commitment to further deepening the longstanding strategic partnership between the UAE and France.