ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates / ConSynSer / – UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan received Dr Markus Söder, Minister-President of the German state of Bavaria, in Abu Dhabi on Monday. Söder is on a working visit to the UAE. He has led the Bavarian state government since 2018. During the meeting, the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to expanding cooperation between the UAE and Bavaria. They focused on priority sectors that support future growth, including the economy, advanced technology, conventional and renewable energy, innovation and industry.
The meeting referred to Sheikh Mohamed’s recent visit to Germany and its positive outcomes in advancing bilateral partnerships. The two sides discussed ways to build on this momentum through long-term economic and development partnerships. These partnerships are intended to support future industries, widen cooperation and facilitate the exchange of expertise. Bavaria is Germany’s largest state by area and is home to companies such as BMW and Siemens.
Sheikh Mohamed’s state visit to Germany in September was the first by a UAE president. He held talks in Berlin with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Friedrich Merz. During the visit, the two governments launched a Strategic Dialogue to strengthen their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which dates back to 2004. They also backed the creation of a German-UAE Investment Council. UAE and German companies signed 29 business agreements and memoranda worth more than €9.35 billion during the visit.
Water security on the agenda
The talks also covered the 2026 UN Water Conference, which the UAE will host in December. Sheikh Mohamed and the Bavarian Minister-President underscored the importance of the conference. They said it can advance collective action to develop innovative solutions to water challenges. Both sides also stressed the need to strengthen sustainable water security, which they described as essential to global development.
The conference will be held from December 8 to 10 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. It is co-hosted by the UAE and Senegal. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs has recently briefed the diplomatic community on preparations and called on member states to participate actively. The event follows the 2023 UN Water Conference, which was held in New York.
Senior officials attend meeting
The meeting was attended by Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, also attended. So did Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Special Affairs.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Adviser to the UAE President, and a number of ministers and officials were also present. The accompanying delegation of the Minister-President of Bavaria attended the meeting as well. The UAE and Germany established diplomatic relations in 1972. Bilateral trade reached about €13.6 billion in 2025, and around 2,000 German companies operate in the UAE.