HKSAR – UAE relationships

The United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong enjoy strong and steadily growing relations, founded on a shared commitment to economic openness, innovation, international connectivity, and sustainable growth. Over the years, cooperation between the two sides has continued to expand, supported by a range of agreements and memoranda of understanding that have strengthened engagement across key areas, including aviation, investment, financial services, technology, education, trade, and innovation.

Building on this strong foundation, the UAE and Hong Kong continue to explore new avenues for cooperation in emerging and future-focused sectors, including financial technology, digital trade, blockchain, artificial intelligence, and green finance. The establishment of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Dubai has further strengthened institutional engagement and supported closer cooperation among government entities, financial regulators, chambers of commerce, innovation hubs, and research institutions.

The growing partnership reflects the UAE and Hong Kong’s shared interest in strengthening economic ties, facilitating investment and knowledge exchange, and fostering innovation. It also underscores their respective roles as leading economic and commercial hubs connecting the Middle East and Asia and contributing to sustainable economic growth and prosperity.

Economic cooperation represents a key pillar of relations between the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong, building on their respective positions as leading global hubs for trade, logistics, aviation, and financial services, as well as their shared commitment to promoting open trade, attracting investment, and facilitating cross-border business and capital flows.

The UAE serves as an important gateway for Hong Kong businesses to markets across the Middle East, while Hong Kong provides UAE companies with strategic access to Mainland China and wider Asian markets. This growing economic partnership is reflected in the strength of bilateral trade. In 2025, the UAE ranked as Hong Kong’s leading trading partner in the Middle East and its sixth-largest trading partner globally, with bilateral trade reaching approximately USD 48.95 billion and accounting for 3.08% of Hong Kong’s total global trade. The UAE also ranked as Hong Kong’s sixth-largest export market and sixth-largest source of imports.

The economic partnership is further supported by agreements and arrangements across a range of areas, including investment protection, avoidance of double taxation, air services, financial regulation, and digital trade. Cooperation has also expanded into emerging and high-growth sectors, including financial technology, digital assets, artificial intelligence, green finance, startups, innovation, and advanced technologies.

At the institutional level, engagement among financial regulators, investment promotion agencies, stock exchanges, chambers of commerce, and innovation ecosystems continues to deepen commercial and investment ties, while creating new opportunities for businesses and supporting greater economic connectivity between the Middle East and Asia.

Cultural and educational cooperation represents an important dimension of the growing relations between the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong, reflecting a shared commitment to fostering mutual understanding, promoting cultural dialogue, and strengthening ties between their respective communities and institutions.

The UAE Consulate General has played an active role in advancing cultural engagement, including through its annual participation in the Hong Kong Book Fair since 2017, which provides a prominent platform to showcase the UAE’s rich literary, cultural, and artistic heritage. In cooperation with Hong Kong’s Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the Consulate General also participates in the Asia+ Festival, introducing audiences to aspects of Emirati and Arab culture through a range of artistic and cultural expressions, including music and Arabic calligraphy.

Educational and academic ties have also continued to develop through engagement with universities and academic institutions in Hong Kong. The Consulate General supports this cooperation through lectures, workshops, study visits, and student exchange programs, contributing to closer institutional links and creating further opportunities for students and academic communities in the UAE and Hong Kong to share knowledge, expertise, and perspectives.

Through these initiatives, the UAE and Hong Kong continue to broaden cultural and educational engagement as an important foundation for deeper mutual understanding and enduring ties between the two sides.