Athens: The UAE-Greece Strategic Forum was held on Thursday in Athens during the official visit of Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, to the Hellenic Republic of Greece.
The forum brought together senior officials, business leaders and investors from both countries to advance bilateral trade and investment cooperation and was attended by Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of Greece.
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The forum was attended by Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade; Haris Theoharis, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece; and Dimitris Skalkos, Secretary General for International Economic Relations at the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the Board of Enterprise Greece. Representatives of the private sector and chambers of commerce from both countries also participated.
The forum witnessed the signing of 18 memoranda of understanding, agreements and commercial partnerships between UAE and Greek entities, with a total value exceeding EUR12.75 billion.
The agreements cover priority sectors including digital infrastructure, advanced technology, artificial intelligence, renewable energy and clean-energy infrastructure, industry, logistics, transport and ports, healthcare, life sciences and food security. The signings reflect growing private sector interest in developing joint projects and expanding commercial and investment cooperation in new and high-growth sectors.
As part of efforts to deepen bilateral investment cooperation, the UAE also announced its intention to invest an additional EUR15 billion through a joint investment initiative with Greece. The initiative will support the long-term economic and investment partnership between the two countries and expand cooperation across sectors of shared strategic and developmental priority.
Al Zeyoudi said the strategic partnership between the UAE and Greece continues to strengthen under the guidance of both countries’ leadership, creating new opportunities for trade, investment and sustainable growth.
Al Zeyoudi said, “The UAE-Greece Strategic Forum reflects our shared commitment to advancing bilateral relations and creating practical opportunities for our business communities. The 17 agreements and commercial partnerships signed today, with a total value exceeding EUR12.75 billion, together with the UAE’s intention to invest an additional EUR15 billion in Greece through the joint investment initiative, demonstrate growing confidence in the long-term potential of this partnership. Our priority is to convert this momentum into productive projects, high-quality investment and sustainable economic value for both countries.”
Al Zeyoudi added, “The global trade landscape, logistics networks and supply chains are evolving rapidly, increasing the value of partnerships that combine complementary capabilities with access to strategic markets. The UAE is a global platform for trade, investment and connectivity, while Greece offers an important gateway to Europe. By connecting these strengths, we can support companies from both countries as they expand across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, and strengthen their participation in global value chains.”
He also highlighted the importance of building on the progress already achieved by expanding bilateral trade and investment and improving access to new markets for UAE and Greek companies. He stressed that the private sector will play a central role in converting opportunities into productive investment, successful partnerships, skilled employment and sustainable economic growth.
The UAE-Greece Strategic Forum featured a programme designed to deepen engagement between business leaders and investors. Two panel discussions focused on strengthening food security through resilient supply chains and building partnerships in artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
Discussions centred on priority sectors in which the UAE and Greece have complementary strengths. Participants examined ways to enhance the resilience of food supply chains and explored opportunities in artificial intelligence, emerging technologies and energy. The forum also included investment-matching sessions and business-to-business meetings, enabling companies and institutions from both countries to identify opportunities and develop new commercial and investment partnerships.
The memoranda of understanding, agreements and commercial partnerships announced during the forum will support the continued growth of bilateral trade and investment and establish new foundations for cooperation in priority and future-focused sectors.
The forum reflected the growing momentum in UAE-Greece economic relations and the shared commitment to a private sector-led partnership focused on practical outcomes, long-term growth and mutual prosperity.