His Excellency Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, the Minister of Economy, held a bilateral meeting with His Excellency Eric Lombard, the French Minister of Economy, Finance, and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, as well as Her Excellency Clara Chavaz, the French Minister responsible for Artificial Intelligence and Digitalization, to discuss the advancement of the economic partnership between the UAE and France. They explored ways to enhance economic and investment cooperation and open new channels for the business communities of both friendly nations.
This meeting took place during the UAE delegation’s visit to France to participate in the “Viva Tech 2025” exhibition focusing on entrepreneurship and modern technology, held in Paris under the theme “New Frontiers of Innovation,” from June 11 to 14.
Abdullah bin Touq emphasized that UAE-France relations exemplify a model of evolving strategic partnerships across multiple sectors, a testament to the vision and guidance of the leadership in both countries. He highlighted the UAE’s commitment to further strengthen economic cooperation with the French government in emerging economic sectors, which are crucial for the transition toward a future economy, noting the shared visions and strategies of both nations aimed at expansion and investment in these vital sectors.
He stated, “This meeting represents a significant step in enhancing collaboration and supporting economic and investment cooperation pathways, especially since the UAE is a key economic partner for France in the region due to its strategic geographic location. Additionally, France is an attractive economic destination for the UAE on the European continent. The UAE currently hosts over 15,000 French companies engaged in diverse economic activities, along with approximately 18,500 registered French brands as of the end of May.”
Moreover, he mentioned that the tourism sector is a vital component of the economic ties between the two nations, with the number of French tourists visiting the UAE reaching around 648,704 in 2024, marking a 15% increase compared to 2023. The UAE welcomed 245,269 French tourists during the first quarter of 2025, and there are now 49 weekly flights connecting the two countries operated by their respective airlines.
Enhancing Communication
The discussion between Abdullah bin Touq and Eric Lombard included new mechanisms to enhance communication channels between the UAE and French business communities, which would help unlock promising partnership opportunities, especially given the vast and diverse economic prospects available in both markets. They also talked about offering more facilitation and incentives for exporters in both countries.
The two sides considered the possibility of sharing expertise related to the development of flexible economic policies and their significance in fostering the growth and sustainability of both economies. In this context, Abdullah bin Touq presented the comprehensive advancements in the UAE’s economic legislation system and its role in enhancing the competitiveness of the business environment, cementing its regional and global leadership. This includes the enactment and development of new laws for cooperatives, commercial transactions, commercial registries, and family firms, alongside provisions for 100% foreign ownership of companies, streamlining business establishment processes, and increasing openness to global markets through the development of international partnerships with targeted strategic markets.
Additionally, Abdullah bin Touq discussed with Clara Chavaz opportunities to strengthen collaboration between the two nations in technology, artificial intelligence, digital transformation, cloud computing, cybersecurity, digital economy, fintech, and tech entrepreneurship.
He informed the French minister about the investment opportunities provided by the UAE for companies seeking to operate and expand in these essential sectors within the UAE’s markets, along with the crucial role of the “We are the UAE 2031” vision in establishing the UAE as a global hub for the new economy within the next decade.