UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Türkiye visit marks deepening strategic ties

In a visit widely seen as a turning point in regional diplomacy, United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is visiting Türkiye on July 16 for a high-profile official visit at the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The visit will coincide with the inaugural session of the High-Level Strategic Council — a bilateral mechanism established in 2023 to institutionalise cooperation between Türkiye and the UAE across key areas, including defence, trade, technology, and climate resilience. 

Official talks will be held at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, where both leaders are expected to outline a roadmap for an expanded strategic partnership.

Turkish Head of Communications Burhanettin Duran said in a social post that the two leaders will discuss steps to deepen “the strategic partnership between the two countries” and exchange views on current regional and global issues.

Political analysts described the UAE leader’s visit as a “historic moment in bilateral relations”.

But the meeting is “expected to go far beyond the classical parameters of bilateral ties. In particular, cooperation in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence and climate change is likely to be central to the discussions,” Nilhan Suay Acikalin, associate professor of international relations at the Haci Bayram Veli University in Ankara, tells TRT World.

The recent years have seen a dramatic transformation in Türkiye-UAE relations, evolving into a rapidly maturing partnership. 

Analysts credit the warming of ties to shared interests in regional stability and economic modernisation, as both Ankara and Abu Dhabi seek to reposition themselves amid shifting global alliances.

According to Acikalin, the talks are also expected to address major flashpoints in the region. 

“There is no doubt that regional issues—especially Gaza—will be discussed in detail between the two leaders,” she says. 

“Just last week, Syria’s President Ahmed al Sharaa paid a visit to the UAE… In this context, the UAE is known to have a behind-the-scenes role in the ongoing dialogue between Israel and Syria.” 

She feels that “Gaza and Syria will certainly be major items on the agenda” during the meeting between Erdogan and Al Nahyan.

While official details of the visit remain under wraps, officials suggest that both countries may announce joint investment initiatives and cooperation agreements in the fields of energy, digital infrastructure, and humanitarian assistance. 

The summit could also reaffirm both countries’ desire to act as mediators in regional conflicts, offering alternative diplomatic channels outside of traditional Western frameworks.

Al Nahyan’s visit follows a landmark trip to Türkiye in 2022 that helped reset relations after a decade of tensions. Since then, trade volumes have surged, and both governments have expressed a commitment to long-term strategic collaboration.

The Ankara summit is expected to conclude with a joint press statement and the signing of multiple memoranda of understanding, sealing what both capitals increasingly describe as a “new era” in Türkiye-UAE relations.