Forward Diplomacy: UAE Vision 2031 Pillar 3 — Global Partnerships & Humanitarian Leadership

Introduction

The third pillar of We the UAE 2031, officially titled Forward Diplomacy, addresses the federation’s positioning within the global order. This pillar establishes targets for diplomatic reach, soft power projection, multilateral engagement, global competitiveness, cultural diplomacy, and humanitarian leadership. The pillar reflects a strategic calculus that the UAE’s long-term security and prosperity depend not only on domestic capacity but on the ability to shape international norms, institutions, and partnerships.

The UAE’s global ambitions are not a recent development. Since the early 2000s, the federation has invested systematically in the instruments of international influence: a world-class airline network, sovereign wealth deployment, cultural landmark institutions, humanitarian aid, and active multilateral diplomacy. We the UAE 2031 codifies and accelerates these efforts, setting explicit targets for global competitiveness rankings and soft power indices.

Diplomatic Network

The UAE maintains one of the most extensive diplomatic networks relative to population size of any nation. With more than 200 embassies, consulates, and permanent missions worldwide, the federation’s diplomatic footprint exceeds that of many significantly larger countries. This network serves multiple functions: commercial promotion, citizen services, intelligence gathering, and the projection of the UAE’s policy positions in multilateral forums.

Under We the UAE 2031, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been mandated to expand diplomatic representation in underserved regions, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia, and Latin America. These regions represent both emerging trade partners and arenas for the UAE’s humanitarian and development engagement.

Abraham Accords and Regional Diplomacy

The signing of the Abraham Accords in September 2020, normalising diplomatic relations between the UAE and Israel, represented a fundamental shift in the Middle Eastern geopolitical landscape. The agreements opened bilateral trade, investment, and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, with annual bilateral trade volumes surpassing USD 2.5 billion within three years of normalisation.

Beyond the bilateral relationship, the Accords signalled the UAE’s willingness to pursue pragmatic diplomatic solutions independent of regional consensus positions. The subsequent Negev Forum, bringing together the UAE, Israel, Bahrain, Morocco, Egypt, and the United States, established a multilateral framework for cooperation on water, energy, food security, education, and health.

The UAE’s regional diplomacy extends well beyond the Abraham Accords. The resolution of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) diplomatic rift in January 2021 restored full relations with Qatar, stabilising the regional security architecture. The UAE maintains calibrated relationships with both Saudi Arabia, its principal GCC partner, and Iran, with which it shares significant maritime borders and commercial ties.

BRICS Membership

The UAE’s accession to the BRICS grouping in January 2024, alongside Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Iran, marked a significant expansion of its multilateral engagement portfolio. Membership provides access to the New Development Bank (NDB), participation in discussions on global financial architecture reform, and alignment with a bloc that collectively represents approximately 46% of the world’s population and more than a third of global GDP.

BRICS membership complements rather than replaces the UAE’s established relationships with Western institutions and alliance structures. The federation maintains strategic defence partnerships with the United States, France, and the United Kingdom, while simultaneously deepening commercial and diplomatic ties with China, India, and Russia. This multi-vector approach to foreign policy is a defining characteristic of the UAE’s global strategy under We the UAE 2031.

Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements

The CEPA programme represents one of the most active trade agreement campaigns in the world. Since the programme’s launch in 2021, the UAE has concluded or advanced negotiations on bilateral trade agreements with India, Turkey, Indonesia, Israel, Georgia, Cambodia, Colombia, and several other nations. Each CEPA reduces tariff barriers, harmonises regulatory standards, and facilitates the movement of goods, services, and investment capital.

The economic rationale is clear: as a trade-dependent economy with a small domestic market, the UAE’s growth trajectory requires preferential access to large and growing consumer markets. The CEPA programme targets coverage of markets representing a significant share of the UAE’s non-oil trade volume, providing exporters and re-exporters with competitive advantages relative to regional rivals.

The agreements also serve diplomatic functions. By creating economic interdependencies with partner nations, the CEPAs contribute to the UAE’s strategic depth and diversify its relationship portfolio beyond traditional hydrocarbon-dependent partnerships.

COP28 and Climate Diplomacy

The UAE’s hosting of the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in November-December 2023 was a landmark in the federation’s diplomatic trajectory. The conference, held at Expo City Dubai, produced the UAE Consensus, which for the first time included language on transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems.

COP28 positioned the UAE as a credible interlocutor between fossil fuel producers and climate advocates, a diplomatic role that leverages its unique position as both a major hydrocarbon exporter and a significant investor in renewable energy. The conference attracted more than 97,000 registered participants, the largest attendance in COP history, and produced agreements on the Loss and Damage Fund, the Global Stocktake, and sectoral pledges on methane reduction, renewable energy tripling, and deforestation.

Under We the UAE 2031, the COP28 legacy is operationalised through continued leadership in international climate finance, technology transfer to developing nations, and the scaling of domestic decarbonisation programmes. The UAE’s independent pathway to net-zero emissions by 2050 serves as a demonstration project for other hydrocarbon-dependent economies navigating the energy transition.

Space Programme

The UAE Space Agency and the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) manage one of the most ambitious space programmes among non-traditional space powers. The Hope Mars Mission, which entered Mars orbit in February 2021, established the UAE as only the fifth entity to reach Mars. The Rashid lunar rover, launched in partnership with ispace, advanced the federation’s capabilities in deep space exploration.

The National Space Strategy 2030, aligned with We the UAE 2031, targets the development of a domestic space industry valued at AED 30 billion, the training of a cadre of Emirati space scientists and engineers, and the establishment of commercial satellite manufacturing capabilities. The programme serves both practical purposes (earth observation, telecommunications, navigation) and national prestige objectives, demonstrating technological capacity on the global stage.

Cultural Diplomacy

Cultural diplomacy constitutes a significant dimension of the UAE’s soft power strategy. Landmark cultural institutions, including the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the forthcoming Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, and the Zayed National Museum, position the federation as a global cultural hub bridging Eastern and Western artistic traditions.

The legacy of Expo 2020 Dubai, which attracted over 24 million visits during its six-month run, continues through Expo City Dubai, repurposed as an innovation and sustainability district. The event demonstrated the UAE’s capacity to execute large-scale international events and served as a platform for global dialogue on innovation, sustainability, and human connectivity.

The Abu Dhabi Culture Summit, Dubai Design Week, Sharjah International Book Fair, and the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair represent annual cultural engagement platforms that connect the UAE with global creative communities. The film industry has also received attention, with the establishment of production studios and incentive frameworks designed to attract international film productions.

Humanitarian Aid

The UAE has consistently ranked among the world’s largest providers of official development assistance (ODA) relative to gross national income. Annual humanitarian aid disbursements exceed USD 1 billion, channelled through bilateral programmes, the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, and contributions to multilateral organisations including UNICEF, UNHCR, and the World Food Programme.

The humanitarian engagement strategy under We the UAE 2031 emphasises long-term development partnerships over short-term relief, targeting education, healthcare, renewable energy access, and food security in recipient countries. The UAE’s humanitarian footprint spans more than 170 countries, with particular concentration in the Horn of Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East.

Global Competitiveness

The UAE targets a top-5 ranking on the IMD World Competitiveness Index by 2031, up from 7th place. Achieving this target requires improvements across the index’s four competitiveness factors: economic performance, government efficiency, business efficiency, and infrastructure. The Federation has already achieved top-5 status on several sub-indices, including government efficiency and business regulatory environment.

The global competitiveness agenda is coordinated by the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre, which benchmarks UAE performance against leading economies and identifies specific regulatory, institutional, and infrastructure reforms needed to close the gap with top-ranked jurisdictions.

Conclusion

The global pillar of We the UAE 2031 reflects a federation that views international engagement not as a luxury of prosperity but as a fundamental requirement for sustained security and development. By investing simultaneously in diplomatic networks, trade agreements, cultural institutions, humanitarian programmes, and technology showcases, the UAE is constructing a multi-dimensional global presence that extends well beyond its physical size and population. The pillar’s targets, if achieved, would position the federation as one of the most globally connected and influential nations of its scale in modern history.