ABU DHABI: UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni held talks in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, focusing on regional developments and their impact on security and stability, as well as maritime security, energy supplies and the global economy. The meeting took place during Meloni’s visit to the United Arab Emirates and added to a series of high-level exchanges between Abu Dhabi and Rome that have accelerated over the past year across political, economic and strategic files.
The two leaders also reviewed bilateral cooperation and reaffirmed support for strengthening ties in ways that serve shared interests. Their discussions covered security and defense relations alongside economic and development cooperation, reflecting the breadth of a partnership that has expanded well beyond traditional trade links. The latest talks connected immediate regional concerns with a broader agenda that both governments have been advancing through regular leader-level meetings and a widening list of joint initiatives in key sectors.
Meloni’s stop in Abu Dhabi came at the end of a regional tour that also took her to Saudi Arabia and Qatar. During the meeting with Sheikh Mohamed, she reiterated Italy’s condemnation of recent Iranian attacks on the UAE and other countries in the region and expressed solidarity with measures being taken to protect the UAE’s security and sovereignty. That position placed the latest UAE-Italy talks within a wider effort to address tensions affecting regional stability, shipping routes and energy flows.
Security And Economic Agenda
The Abu Dhabi meeting followed a working session in Rome on March 5 between UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Meloni, when the two sides reviewed cooperation in the economy, trade, investment, renewable energy, sustainability and artificial intelligence. That meeting also addressed regional and international developments and efforts to strengthen security and stability. The sequence of talks in Rome and Abu Dhabi has kept momentum behind a relationship that both governments describe as strategic and increasingly broad-based.
The relationship also received further attention in January, when Italian President Sergio Mattarella visited the UAE for talks with Sheikh Mohamed on opportunities to strengthen bilateral cooperation and the wider UAE-Italy strategic partnership. Those discussions centered on prosperity and development for both countries and reflected the emphasis both capitals have placed on trust, continuity and direct engagement. Together with the March contacts in Rome, the January visit helped set the stage for Meloni’s latest discussions in Abu Dhabi.
Strategic Partnership Framework
A major marker in that agenda came in February 2025, when Sheikh Mohamed visited Rome and the two governments announced that the UAE would commit $40 billion to invest in Italy across key sectors. More than 40 agreements were signed as the two sides moved toward a comprehensive strategic partnership covering economy and investment, defense, energy, space, cultural heritage, infrastructure and advanced technology. The official framework also highlighted cooperation in artificial intelligence, water technology, information and communication technology, startups, agriculture, civil aviation, education, culture and healthcare.
Economic ties have provided a clear base for that political relationship. The two governments said non-oil bilateral trade reached $11.7 billion in 2023, while Italian investment in the UAE increased by 50% over the previous five years. Against that backdrop, the latest meeting in Abu Dhabi brought together two defining elements of current UAE-Italy relations: coordination on fast-moving regional security issues and a longer-term push to expand trade, investment and strategic cooperation across high-growth sectors. – By Content Syndication Services.