The October 27 meeting is part of a broader economic diplomacy strategy, strengthened during the Italy–UAE Business Forum, which led to a series of agreements between CDP and Emirati partners to create new opportunities for businesses on both sides.
Why it matters: The relationship between Italy and the United Arab Emirates is entering a new strategic phase. It’s no longer just about trade—it’s about structural integration across industry, innovation, and diplomacy. Data from the first half of 2025 show record-high Italian exports and increasingly solid political cooperation.
By the numbers:
- €161 million: value of Italian exports of packaging and food-processing machinery to the UAE in H1 2025
- +58.3% for packaging / +87.5% for food processing
- Italian market share: 34.7% and 35.4%, respectively
- AED 51.8 billion: non-oil trade in 2024 (+21% over 2023)
- AED 25.6 billion: non-oil trade in the first half of 2025, still growing.
Industry and innovation. The UAE is investing heavily in its food manufacturing sector, valued at $23 billion in 2025 and projected to more than double in the coming years.
- Italian technology has become the ideal partner in the UAE’s drive for economic diversification and food security.
- At Gulfood Manufacturing 2025 (Dubai, November 4–6), 252 Italian companies will participate, with a national pavilion organised by the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) and the Union of Italian Manufacturers of Automatic Packaging and Processing Machines (UCIMA).
As Ambassador Lorenzo Fanara stated: “This is not just trade—it’s a deep industrial partnership that integrates Italian innovation into the Emirati vision of efficiency and sustainability.”
Economic and institutional diplomacy. The cooperation extends to political and financial dialogue.
- A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in Rome between the Abu Dhabi Chamber and Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) to foster joint investments in advanced industries, renewable energy, biotechnology, and logistics.
- In parallel, Justice Ministers Carlo Nordio and Abdullah Al Nuaimi held talks on extradition, mutual legal assistance, anti–money laundering, and tracking of virtual assets.
The signal is clear: bilateral ties are evolving into deeper cooperation on judicial and security matters.
From suppliers to co-developers. Italy is no longer just an exporter — it is becoming an industrial and technological partner.
- Italian SMEs are finding the UAE to be a global hub for expanding into Asian and African markets.
- Abu Dhabi offers capital, infrastructure, and strategic vision for joint ventures in digital transformation and green manufacturing.
The big picture: 2025 marks a turning point: from an excellent commercial relationship to an integrated, long-term partnership. Italy contributes know-how, design, and sustainability. The UAE provides capital, markets, and global ambition.
- In a rapidly changing Middle East, the Rome–Abu Dhabi axis stands out as a model of Euro–Arab cooperation, rooted in innovation, legality, and a shared vision.
What we’re watching: Gulfood Manufacturing 2025 and the projects emerging from the CDP–Abu Dhabi Chamber MoU will be the real test of whether the Italy–UAE industrial alliance can translate momentum into long-term, high-impact investment.
