Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (WAM)
The United Arab Emirates is joining the State of Kuwait in celebrating its National Day, observed annually on February 25, reflecting the depth of fraternal ties and the strategic partnership binding the leaderships and peoples of both nations.
In line with the directives of the UAE leadership, a week of nationwide celebrations took place from January 29 till February 4, 2026 across all emirates under the theme “UAE and Kuwait: Brothers Forever", reaffirming the deep-rooted fraternal relations between the two nations. The initiative reflected the UAE’s profound appreciation of Kuwait, and the close bonds linking the two peoples.
Bilateral relations between the UAE and Kuwait continue to advance under the support and patronage of the wise leadership of the two brotherly countries, represented by UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Sheikh Mishal Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, Emir of Kuwait.
The two countries continue to consolidate bilateral relations and advance them towards broader horizons of cooperation through various mechanisms and joint committees, foremost among them the UAE-Kuwait Joint Higher Committee, which recently held its sixth session in Kuwait.
The session witnessed the signing of five memoranda of understanding and executive programmes, including a Memorandum of Understanding on consumer protection and commercial control, an executive programme for tourism cooperation for 2026–2028, an executive programme for cooperation in standardisation activities for 2026–2028, a memorandum of understanding on promoting integrity and combating corruption, and a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in public sector oversight and auditing.
The UAE and Kuwait share strong and steadily growing economic and trade relations, reflected in the sustained growth of bilateral trade. Total trade over ten years, between 2013 and 2022, reached Dh317 billion, including Dh63 billion in imports, Dh85.5 billion in non-oil exports, and Dh168.5 billion in re-exports.
Non-oil trade between the two countries amounted to Dh38.8 billion during the first nine months of 2025, marking growth of 7.6 percent. UAE imports from Kuwait increased by 3.6 percent in the third quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, while re-exports rose by 4 percent during the third quarter.
Kuwait is one of the UAE’s key trading partners. The UAE is Kuwait’s second-largest trading partner globally and its largest Arab and Gulf partner, accounting for nearly 20 percent of Kuwait’s non-oil exports.
Tourism represents a key pillar of economic relations between the two countries. The number of Kuwaiti visitors to the UAE reached 400,000 in 2025, marking an increase of nearly 6 percent compared to 2024. The total number of direct flights operated weekly by national carriers between the two countries reached 174.
Cultural collaboration is another cornerstone of UAE-Kuwait ties. The two countries have signed several agreements in this field to exchange expertise and further enhance cooperation for mutual benefit.
The number of Kuwaiti students enrolled in UAE universities has exceeded 1,725, further reinforcing educational cooperation between the two sides.
