The Kingdom of Morocco - UAE Relationships

• The UAE-Moroccan relations have witnessed continuous development in all political, economic, and cultural fields, thanks to the high directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, may God protect him, and His Majesty King Mohammed VI, and the two leaderships follow a common desire, To enhance bilateral cooperation, and play an important role in the Arab and Islamic environment in order to consolidate the foundations of joint Arab action.
• The UAE-Moroccan relations have witnessed important development in all fields, which is reflected in the continuous meetings between officials of the two countries in the fields of economy, trade, justice, judiciary, And media. The strength of the relations between the two countries is represented by the congruence of the views of the leaders of both countries towards bilateral, regional and international issues, and their desire to diversify the areas of economic and commercial cooperation, attract new investments, and achieve mutual benefit in various economic, cultural, media, social, technical, tourism, scientific and judicial fields.
• The UAE-Moroccan Joint Committee was established on May 16th, 1985 in Rabat, and held its first session in Abu Dhabi from November 22nd to 24nd, 1988, headed by the Foreign Ministers of the two countries. The second session was held in Rabat on June 25Th and 26Th, 2001, under the chairmanship of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs at the time, and His Excellency Mohammed bin Issa, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of morocco, while the third session was held in February 2004. In Abu Dhabi. The fourth session was held in Casablanca on July 22nd and 23rd, 2006. The fifth session was held in Abu Dhabi on May 22nd, 2018.
• Bilateral relations between the two countries were recently marked by the opening of the United Arab Emirates Consulate in the city of Laayoune in the Moroccan Sahara on November 4th, 2020, in a step that confirms the UAE’s permanent support for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Morocco.
• His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates, visited the Kingdom of Morocco, on Wednesday, January 20th, 2021, and was received by King Mohammed VI at the Royal Palace in Fez, where he conveyed to his Majesty a message from the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the United Arab Emirates, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. During this reception, the development of the bilateral partnership in various fields between the two countries was discussed.
• His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, may God protect him, received King Mohammed VI of the sisterly Kingdom of Morocco, who made an official visit to the United Arab Emirates during the period from 4th to 5 th December 2023. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s discussions with his brother, King Mohammed VI, focused on bilateral issues. During these discussions, the two leaders expressed their pride in the depth of the bonds of true brotherhood that unite them, and the bonds of mutual appreciation. Following this official visit, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, and King Mohammed VI, King of the Kingdom of Morocco, signed in Abu Dhabi, on December 4th, 2023, a declaration of an innovative, renewed and solid partnership between the Kingdom of Morocco and the United Arab Emirates, with the aim of developing Various areas of economic, trade and investment cooperation and moving them to qualitative horizons that meet the aspirations of the two countries and their peoples for development and growth.

The Kingdom of Morocco is an important economic partner for the UAE, and UAE-Morocco economic relations have witnessed significant development in recent years, as the UAE ranks first in terms of Arab investments in the Kingdom of Morocco, and third in terms of total foreign direct investments, thanks to the large influx of UAE investments, whether governmental or private, in various economic sectors.

The Kingdom of Morocco is considered a gateway for Emirati investors to cross into European and African markets due to Morocco's strategic location and proximity to Europe.

The trade and free trade agreements signed between the Kingdom of Morocco and the European Union, the United States of America and Turkey, provide great opportunities for Emirati companies investing in Morocco to benefit from these agreements.

In continuation of the bilateral cooperation between the two countries on the economic and commercial level, on June 9, 2022, a memorandum of understanding was signed to reactivate the Moroccan-UAE Business Council by the Secretary General of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of the United Arab Emirates and the President of the General Federation of Moroccan Companies in Rabat, in the presence of H.E. Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy, and a number of economic actors in the two countries. The UAE-Morocco Business Council is a joint platform to support and accompany UAE and Moroccan companies to make innovative, high-impact, value-added and job-creating investments on both sides.

In the same context, the ministerial meeting of the Moroccan-UAE Joint Economic Committee was held on Thursday, April 27, 2023 in Rabat, under the chairmanship of HE Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy of the UAE, and HE Nadia Fattah, Minister of Economy and Finance of the Kingdom of Morocco, with the participation of senior officials from the two ministries and some public institutions and the private sector from the two countries. A memorandum of understanding on economic and technical cooperation was also signed, which aims to establish a cooperative framework between the two parties that contributes to developing, strengthening and diversifying the fields of economic and technical cooperation between the two countries through the establishment of a joint UAE-Moroccan economic committee.

These relations were further strengthened by the visit of His Majesty King Mohammed VI to the UAE on December 4, 2023, where he met with His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, where a declaration towards an innovative and solid partnership was signed between the two heads of state, with the aim of developing various fields of economic, commercial and investment cooperation, and 12 memorandums of understanding were signed between the two countries on a number of strategic sectors.

On the trade side, the volume of trade exchange between the UAE and the Kingdom of Morocco increased from $1.003 billion in 2022 to $1.300 billion in 2023, registering an increase of about 30%.

• The Cooperation between the UAE and the Kingdom of Morocco is not limited only to the political and economic levels, but also extends to include cultural cooperation. The UAE participates in the most prominent cultural and artistic events hosted by the Kingdom of Morocco.
• The convergence of aspects of heritage and common cultural denominators between the UAE and Morocco is embodied Sahrawi culture, especially at the level of poetry, proverbs, folk tales, engagement and marriage rituals and celebrations, and holiday traditions, in addition to literary heritage such as ‘zajal’ and rhymed poetry performed in groups.
• Abu Dhabi hosted, from 4 to 11 December 2015, the “Moroccan Heritage Week” exhibition, hosted by the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center and the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, under the patronage of King Mohammed VI and the late Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, coinciding with the celebration of the day. The 44th National day of the uae, with the participation of the King Mohamed VI.
• On February 26, 2016, the Moroccan Ministry of Culture and the Department of Culture and Information of the Sharjah Government in the United Arab Emirates signed a memorandum of understanding regarding the establishment of an institution bearing the name “Dar Al-Poetry” in the city of Tetouan. According to the memorandum of understanding, this institution will be concerned with issues of creativity and poetry, as well as documenting and translating Moroccan poetry.
• The UAE also participated in the 10th session of the Nador International Poetry Festival in the city of Nador in the north of Morocco, sponsored by the “Fujairah Culture and Media Authority”, as the two Emirati poets Khaled Al-Dhanhani and Omar bin Qalala Al-Amiri were guests of honor at the festival, which was organized by the “Association of Moroccan Creative Rifs” under the auspices of The Moroccan Ministry of Culture, under the slogan “Morocco - Africa has common roots”, with the participation of a number of Arab, African and European countries.
• The UAE participated in the Moussem of Tan Tan held in Morocco, which constitutes an opportunity to introduce the UAE’s efforts to register elements of intangible heritage on the UNESCO list of intangible human heritage. It highlights the UAE’s local heritage and promotes it in all international forums, especially since it is considered a distinctive cultural and artistic event in the north. Africa, with its ability to bring together diverse forms of nomadic cultures, provides an opportunity for different Arab cultures to meet in one melting pot.
• The United Arab Emirates participated, from July 7th to July 12th, 2023, in the 16th session of the ‘Moussem of Tan Tan’, with a pavilion supervised by the Department of Cultural and Heritage Festivals and Programs in Abu Dhabi, in cooperation with a number of Emirati institutions concerned with the preservation of cultural heritage.
• The Emirates Arabian Horse Association participated in the activities of the 14th edition of El Jadida Horse Fair, Morocco, on October 17th, 2023, which is held under the slogan “Horses and Sustainable Development.” The association’s participation in this session included many activities that demonstrate its role in caring for Arabian horses, based on the support and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President of the State, Deputy Prime Minister, Head of the Presidential Office, and Chairman of the Association’s Board of Directors. The new edition of the exhibition focused on developments in recreational equestrian activities and cultural, artistic and sporting events, and included competitions and educational presentations to introduce horses.
• On December 2nd, 2023, the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the Kingdom of Morocco issued a collective book titled “Contemporary insight on tolerance,” which included a valuable contribution from a group of academics from the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Morocco. This intellectual work represents the result of close cooperation between thinkers in both the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Morocco.