PAKISTAN-UAE relations have stood the test of time despite geopolitical upheavals. The current souring of relations does not reflect the true potential of ties between the two countries. Bilateral ties are rooted in shared faith, cultural affinity, and enduring people-to-people bonds. Pakistan was among the first countries to recognise and establish diplomatic relations with the UAE after the country’s founding in 1971. Since then, ties have continued to expand.
Pakistan’s contribution to the UAE’s development remains an important glue that still binds the two states together. Pakistani military personnel, engineers, teachers, professionals and skilled workers have contributed to defence, aviation, education, and engineering. A 2.2 million-strong Pakistani diaspora remains an important pillar of the UAE economy, contributing $8 billion in remittances, while also providing demographic balance vis-à-vis 4.2m Indian expatriates. The UAE is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner.
There is steady progress towards investment-led partnerships in logistics, technology, agriculture and food security. This is supported by the Pakistan-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, which is expected to raise trade volume to $16-20bn. Pakistan’s 240m consumer market, young, tech-savvy workforce, 2.3m freelancers, and 26,000 registered IT/ITeS companies offer significant opportunities for UAE investment in Pakistan’s IT parks, fintech, and e-commerce.
Pakistan’s defence ties with the UAE date back to 1974, when 115 Pakistani defence personnel laid the foundations of an enduring partnership by training Emirati pilots and military personnel, and establishing the Armour Training School. The extent of cooperation is evident in the fact that the first five chiefs of air staff of the UAE Air Force were Pakistan Air Force officers. Pakistan offers joint special forces training exercises for counterterrorism and co-production of defence hardware, on account of its advanced defence industry, along with prospects for future cooperation in AI, cyberspace, electronic warfare, and advanced defence systems.
Ties between Pakistan and the UAE have continued to expand.
Agriculture and food security is another area of convergence due to Pakistan’s fertile land and the UAE’s demand for agricultural products. Pakistan’s climatic conditions, agricultural workforce and production capacity can contribute to UAE food security. Conversely, UAE capital, technology, and logistics can make Pakistan’s supply chains more resilient through cold-chain storage, marketing, and value addition.
Minerals are another area of cooperation. Pakistan possesses immense mineral wealth. Already, Pakistan’s Mari Energies is collaborating with the UAE’s International Resource Holding to explore copper and gold reserves in Chagai, as well as opportunities in antimony, aluminium ore, and rare earth elements. A few UAE companies are also exploring the possibility of establishing an ore-refining industry in Punjab.
Geopolitical challenges like the UAE’s joining of the Abraham Accords and its economic rivalry with Saudi Arabia have resulted in political cleavages that have widened during the Iran-US conflict. Israel’s expansionist policies have not helped; the UAE’s quest for regional peace has foundered on the rocks of Israeli militarism. The UAE’s policies in Somaliland, Algeria, Libya, Yemen and Sudan have often placed it in Saudi Arabia’s rival camp.
Israel and the UAE are increasingly collaborating in some fields, and India’s influence is also growing because of its close ties with the former. However, Pakistan understands each country’s choices and does not have a direct clash of interest with any of the I2U2 (India, Israel, the USA, UAE) states. Pakistan wants to play the role of regional stabiliser in West Asia through alliances like the Makkah defence alliance. Pakistan’s mediatory role in the Iran-US conflict has also created space for the UAE’s rapprochement with Iran.
Pakistan and the UAE face a common threat in transnational terrorism and organised crime. As a global trade and transshipment hub, the UAE faces direct threats from the narco-trade emanating from Afghanistan. Pakistan’s ports like Karachi, Port Qasim and Gwadar complement rather than compete with UAE ports, lessening their burden and relieving congestion in Hormuz.
The scope for counterterrorism cooperation is broad. The two can combine Pakistan’s CT intelligence experience with the UAE’s capabilities in financial monitoring, border and aviation security, cybersecurity, etc to disrupt threats. Pakistan and the UAE should take advantage of the full range of economic, defence and CT cooperation opportunities, since their common interests far outweigh any geopolitical differences.
The writer has a PhD from NUST.
Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2026
