By: The national

Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, the UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Managing Director of ADNOC, visited Tokyo this week for high-level meetings with Japanese government officials and business leaders. Alongside the UAE Ambassador to Japan, he held talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Economy, Trade, and Industry Minister Ryusei Akazawa to review bilateral cooperation.

Discussions focused on strategic partnerships in energy, industry, and advanced technology, as well as progress on the proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the two nations. Dr. Al Jaber also met with CEOs of major Japanese corporations including Inpex, Jera, Cosmo Energy, Mitsui, and Mizuho Financial Group.

The meetings underscore the robust economic ties between the two countries, with total bilateral trade reaching $49.6 billion in 2024. The UAE is Japan's top trading partner in the Arab world and its seventh-largest globally, while Japan is the UAE's ninth-largest trading partner.