ABU DHABI: His HIghness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, have attended the UAE-France Business Dialogue at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi.
The event formed part of joint efforts to strengthen the UAE-France economic and investment partnership and explore new opportunities for cooperation in priority strategic sectors, particularly energy, artificial intelligence and advanced technology.
In the opening remarks, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan welcomed the French President and the accompanying delegation.
H.H. Sheikh Khaled noted that the friendship between the UAE and France spans more than five decades, built on firm foundations of trust, mutual respect and a shared vision of progress and prosperity.
Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed affirmed that the strategic partnership between the two countries has evolved to keep pace with global developments.
He noted that changes in the global economy underscore the growing strategic importance of bilateral cooperation in ensuring secure, reliable and sustainable energy supplies, and building resilient supply chains capable of addressing challenges, alongside deepening cooperation in artificial intelligence and advanced technology. It also builds on the Campus AI initiative that the two countries are developing in France.
Sheikh Khaled highlighted that the UAE-France Business Dialogue provides an opportunity to translate shared priorities into strategic investments and major projects in sectors that will shape the economies of tomorrow. The event affirms the UAE’s commitment to further advancing its partnership with France and translating shared interests and visions into tangible outcomes that benefit both countries and their peoples.
The dialogue provides a high-level platform to exchange perspectives on the future of vital sectors, review progress in partnerships and joint projects between Emirati and French companies, and explore ways to broaden cooperation, supporting both countries’ economic interests and strengthening their ability to keep pace with rapid changes in the global economy.
The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and the French President attended two panel discussions. Titled "The Power of Resilience: Shaping the Future of Energy and Beyond", the first discussion examined key transformations in the energy sector and the importance of strengthening resilience, fostering innovation and developing sustainable solutions to keep pace with global changes and ensure secure and sustainable supplies.
The second discussion, titled "Beyond Compute: AI Shaping the Future", focused on the growing role of artificial intelligence in reshaping economic and industrial sectors, the opportunities advanced technologies offer to develop new models for growth and innovation, and ways to strengthen cooperation between Emirati and French institutions and companies.
The two sessions brought together ministers and business leaders from both countries to exchange perspectives and expertise on future priorities and explore opportunities for cooperation and joint investment, helping translate shared ambitions into partnerships and projects with tangible economic impact.
The dialogue highlighted the depth of the investment and strategic partnerships between the UAE and France, particularly in conventional and advanced energy, clean energy and artificial intelligence. Leading UAE companies, including ADNOC, Masdar, MGX and G42, play a central role in developing and expanding these partnerships.
The dialogue also highlighted bilateral cooperation in the energy sector, encompassing liquefied natural gas, energy infrastructure development, low-emission solutions and renewable energy projects.
This reflects the two countries’ shared expertise and investment and technological capabilities, as well as their commitment to strengthening energy security and supporting the transition towards more efficient and sustainable systems.
The dialogue also addressed bilateral cooperation in artificial intelligence, highlighting the Campus AI initiative, which brings together MGX with French and international partners to develop advanced computing and AI infrastructure in France, alongside G42’s investments in advanced computing infrastructure.
These initiatives reflect a shared commitment to harnessing strategic investments and technological expertise to accelerate innovation, strengthen capabilities in future-focused sectors and reinforce both countries’ standing within a global economy driven by knowledge and technology.
Sheikh Khaled and Emmanuel Macron also witnessed the signing of Memoranda of Understanding and contracts between Emirati and French institutions and companies, covering energy, artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced technology.
In AI and advanced technology, three MoUs were signed with AMI Labs to strengthen research and technological cooperation and explore new applications across several vital fields.
Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) signed an MoU with AMI Labs to strengthen cooperation in AI research and development and facilitate the exchange of scientific and technological expertise and knowledge, supporting the development of research and innovation capabilities in the sector.
G42 also signed an MoU with AMI Labs to establish a framework for strategic cooperation in cloud computing infrastructure and AI models, and to explore opportunities to develop advanced technological solutions and deploy them in practical applications.
Analog signed an MoU with AMI Labs to explore opportunities to integrate AI models into robotics and physical AI applications, opening new avenues for developing intelligent systems and expanding their use in industrial and technology sectors.
In the energy sector, ADNOC Gas and Schneider Electric signed an MoU to assess advanced technologies and opportunities for operational improvements, helping enhance operational efficiency and deploy digital and technological solutions to improve the performance of energy systems.
ADNOC Refining and Technip Energies also signed two contracts relating to a refining capacity enhancement project and a sustainable aviation fuel project.
The contracts reflect continued industrial cooperation between the two countries and the expansion of partnerships in refining capacity development and sustainable fuel solutions.
These agreements demonstrate both countries’ commitment to broadening economic and investment cooperation, strengthening integration between their industrial, technological and research capabilities, and opening new avenues for public-private partnerships to support the development of innovative and sustainable solutions in shared priority sectors.
The UAE-France Business Dialogue and the agreements signed during the event reflect the strength of the two countries’ economic and strategic relations, and their shared commitment to deepening cooperation in sectors that will form the foundations of future economies.
The dialogue also underscores the commitment from both sides to building on their partnerships and achievements by harnessing their investment, industrial and technological capabilities to develop high-impact projects that advance growth, innovation and competitiveness, while contributing to shared economic prosperity.