8th December 2025
The Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke TD, will lead Ireland’s delegation to the inaugural meeting of the Ireland–United Arab Emirates Joint Economic Commission (JEC), taking place on December 10th, 2025. Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment (DCEE) and Transport, Darragh O’Brien TD and Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Robert Troy TD will also be travelling to participate in this JEC, and all three Ministers will undertake an extensive programme of engagements and meetings during this visit.
The UAE is a key partner for Ireland in the Middle East region. In May 2025, the EU and UAE formally launched negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA)—the first comprehensive EU trade deal in the Gulf region.
Ahead of departing for the UAE from the COMPET meeting in Brussels Minister Burke said,
“Our relationship with the UAE is one which we greatly value and this first Joint Economic Commission meeting is a key opportunity to grow and develop the links between both countries. Ireland is fully committed to growing trade, investment and tourism links between our two countries, providing new opportunities for our SMEs and working to progress key areas of cooperation through the shifting global trading landscape”.
The discussions around this JEC will cover a wide range of areas including economy, trade and investment, tourism development, banking and finance, industry and advanced technology, renewable energy and clean tech, transport, and agri-food trade and food security. Ireland will also highlight its competitive business environment and strategic initiatives such as the Ireland for Finance Strategy and the Government’s Action Plan on Market Diversification, which aims to expand trade relationships beyond traditional markets.
Minister Burke said,
“This meeting is about building a future-focused partnership. We look forward to constructive discussions that will deliver tangible outcomes for Irish businesses and create new opportunities for collaboration with the UAE.”
ENDS
Notes to the Editors
Ireland currently maintains active Joint Economic Commissions (JECs) with the UAE, China, Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Korea which facilitate dialogue at official level across a range of economic, trade, investment, innovation and science and technology fields.
JECs provide a valuable forum for exchanges and experience-sharing regarding economic and industrial policies. They can act as a platform to progress mutually beneficial trade and investment promotion, raise market access or regulatory issues and support closer cooperation in priority areas such as science, innovation and technology, education, connectivity, labour markets, green and digital transformations, supply chain resilience, tourism and culture, agriculture and food security, health, aviation and aerospace, and cybersecurity.
The format allows partners to receive a response on important trade and investment issues, to discuss WTO developments and to increase awareness of our countries and respective enterprise and economic priorities among key decision makers. A JEC can also provide a mechanism for progressing matters proposed already, for example, under previously suggested MoUs.
On the Irish side, the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment continue to lead on establishing and coordinating Irelands approach to JECs. In general, JECs meet on a biennial basis, at senior official level, with host location alternating between the partners.
Back to Department News