Kuwait-UAE bonds built on fraternal ties between leaders, people

By Tareq Yousef AlShumaimry

President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and his accompanying delegation is arriving in Kuwait today, 10 November, on a state visit during which he will hold official talks with His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

The two leaders are expected to discuss the longstanding fraternal ties between their two countries, and focus on various areas of cooperation, particularly in the economic, investment, and development sectors, as well as in other key areas that support their shared vision of achieving growth and prosperity for their peoples and fostering peace and stability in the region.

Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates UAE) share a unique bond of friendship built over the centuries through social and cultural ties between people of the two nations, their common religious and Arab identities, and shared views on regional and international issues. This relationship was further cemented when Kuwait became one of the first countries to recognize the newly formed United Arab Emirates following its independence in December 1971. The following year the UAE opened its embassy in Kuwait, and this was reciprocated with the opening of the Kuwaiti embassy in Abu Dhabi in 1972.

Much of the credit for the robust diplomatic and political relations that exist between Kuwait and the UAE can be traced back to the first meeting of the Founding Father of the UAE, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, with the late Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah, back in 1973. The solidarity and friendship struck between the two leaders has been maintained by successive UAE presidents from Sheikh Khalifa to Sheikh Mohamed urrent Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal Al Ahmad. The bond of friendship was further strengthened during the 1990-91 invasion and occupation of Kuwait by Iraqi forces. The UAE immediately opened its doors to thousands of Kuwaitis fleeing Iraqi forces and then joined the international coalition to liberate Kuwait, sending troops and aircraft to join the fight. The memory of Emirati soldiers who lost their lives in the battle to liberate Kuwait are etched forever in the hearts of people in Kuwait.

Relations between the two countries have gone from strength to strength in various fields over the decades since independence of both nations, and even before. In 1952, following a visit to the then separate emirate of Sharjah by the late Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Al Sabah, an educational mission was sent to support education in the emirate. This was followed by a medical mission in 1962, at a time when hospitals and medical care were still in their infancy in the seven emirates. In 1969, Kuwait Television also set up a station in Dubai.

High level visits between the two countries have further consolidated relations. In particular, the visit of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, to the UAE in March of this year, highlighted the strength of bilateral relations, and culminated in a joint statement affirming their commitment to furthering cooperation for mutual benefit.

During the visit, President Sheikh Mohamed awarded Sheikh Meshal the Order of Zayed during his state visit to the UAE, a reflection of the strong ties between the two countries, and Sheikh Meshal’s efforts to build them further. In particular, the citation praised Sheikh Meshal’s work to build solidarity among members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), of which both countries have been members since it was founded in Abu Dhabi in 1981.

Additionally, Crown Prince of Dubai and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, made an official visit to Kuwait on 8 October, following a nearly month-long visit by Sheikh Fahad Yusuf Saud Al-Sabah, First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Minister of Interior of the State of Kuwait, to the UAE.

In his comments ahead of the UAE president’s visit to Kuwait, the country’s Consul-General in Dubai, Ambassador Ali Al-Thaidi stressed the importance of the upcoming visit saying that it would add strength to the long illustrious ties between the two nations. He added that relations between the UAE and Kuwait are exemplary,and that people in both countries shared similar views when it came to boosting relations on all possible domains. He further stated that the two leaders would also discuss recent developments in the Middle East in addition to regional challenges that would require coordination to overcome.

In addition to the strong bonds at the leadership level, relations between the two nations encompass various fields, including political, economic, trade, military, security, cultural, and educational cooperation, resulting in dozens of agreements and joint memoranda of understanding. In 2006, a Joint Committee for Bilateral Cooperation was established between the UAE and Kuwait, meeting first in Kuwait City and two years later in Abu Dhabi.

Subsequent meetings have since seen numerous agreements, from diplomatic training and industrial cooperation to culture, arts and sciences, and a Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in oil, gas and renewable energy in 2014. The following year saw the first session of a Consular Committee, to explore joint areas of diplomacy. The UAE-Kuwait Joint Higher Committee exemplifies the commitment of the two countries to bolstering bilateral relations and advancing cooperation and coordination across various fields.

The UAE is the world’s largest destination for Kuwait’s non-oil exports, accounting for 22 percent of Kuwait’s total exports. UAE also ranks third among the most significant import markets for Kuwait after China and the United States. “Our bilateral non-oil trade has seen significant growth in recent years, reaching its highest levels in history in 2023, with a total value exceeding $12 billion,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, in September at the opening of the new Kuwaiti Embassy in Abu Dhabi.

In September of this year, business and commercial ties between Kuwait and UAE received a further boost with the promulgation of a new Federal Law by the UAE President, which decreed that citizens of States of the Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC), shall be treated the same way as citizens of the UAE are when practicing economic activities and professions in the State. More than 50 Kuwaiti companies now invest in the UAE, while over 400,000 Kuwaiti tourists visited the UAE in 2023— nearly double that of the previous year. In the other direction, around 50,000 Emiratis visited Kuwait last year, with the country now hosting over 130 UAE companies.

That emphasis on building trade saw a number of key agreements in 2024. At the fifth UAE-Kuwait Joint Higher Committee meeting in Abu Dhabi last September, no less than eight MoUs were signed, covering areas including telecoms and information technology, education, sports, cyber security, defense and culture.

The agreements were described by Sheikh Abdullah as embodying “the depth of the fraternal relations between the two countries”. Cooperation in culture and education reflects the close ties and commonalities between the two countries and their peoples. The UAE and Kuwait have signed numerous bilateral agreements in culture, education, and the arts, aiming to exchange expertise and enhance cooperation for the benefit of both countries. The number of Kuwaiti students studying at UAE universities reached 1,725, and Kuwait has issued decisions encouraging more students to study in the UAE, which will contribute to enhancing educational collaboration. An international studies program developed by both countries seeks to encourage students to choose colleges and universities within the GCC countries rather than further overseas.

In the tourism sector, the number of Kuwaiti tourists staying in UAE hotels in 2023 exceeded 381,000, compared to 250,000 in 2022, while the number of Emirati tourists in Kuwait from January to September 2024 was 42,236. National carriers operated 122 weekly flights to Kuwait during the first half of this year, while the total flights from Kuwait to the UAE reached 53 weekly.

Both countries are keen to maintain high-level coordination on all bilateral, Arab, and international issues that serve their mutual interests and enhance the unity and cohesion of the Gulf and Arab houses. They share a common vision for peace and stability in the region and actively promote diplomatic dialogue, advocating for diplomatic means to resolve regional disputes, adhering to international law, and preventing further escalation in the region. The two countries also share a significant role in supporting peaceful solutions to current conflicts in the region, in collaboration with the regional and international community.

The UAE and Kuwait continue to expand their economic cooperation and partnership, seizing available opportunities in both countries and exploring economic prospects in light of the ‘We the UAE 2031’ vision and ‘Kuwait Vision 2035’. Both countries recognise the importance of joint economic and trade cooperation and the need to enhance it through increased trade exchange and strengthening economic relations in industrial, commercial, and investment sectors.

The depth and width of relations between Kuwait and the UAE can be best expressed by the words of the UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, who said, “What most distinguishes the UAE-Kuwait relations, and their continuous development, are the social and cultural bonds that unite the two brotherly peoples, including the ties of brotherhood and friendship, shared heritage, history and common values.”

Tareq Yousef AlShumaimry, served as Chairman of the Finance Committee and Chairman of the General Budget Committee of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague (PCA) and an observer in the Administrative Council of the Court and the Consular at International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the Embassy of the State of Kuwait in the Netherlands during this period from 2013 to 2020. Email: tareq@alshumaimry.com