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President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed landed in Berlin on Wednesday to commence a state visit to Germany, aimed at strengthening the burgeoning relationship between the two nations. His arrival was met with military escort as the plane entered German airspace and arrived at the airport. The UAE leader was welcomed by a 21-gun salute and a guard of honour.

Sheikh Mohamed is scheduled to meet with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The primary agenda of these meetings is to explore opportunities to deepen cooperation, particularly in economic and developmental sectors. Diplomatic relations between the UAE and Germany were established in 1972 and have blossomed over the years, with a strategic partnership signed in 2004 playing a pivotal role.

The UAE currently stands as Germany's foremost partner in the Gulf region, with bilateral trade surpassing $15.5 billion in 2025. An impressive 2,000 German firms have established offices in the UAE, among them industry giants BMW, Siemens, ThyssenKrupp, and Deutsche Bahn, which had a significant role in setting up the UAE's first freight services – Etihad Rail.

Over recent years, the UAE and Germany have been closely collaborating to enhance energy security and promote the shift from conventional fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy sources. A tangible illustration of this cooperation is the 476-megawatt Baltic Eagle offshore wind farm, a project in which Abu Dhabi's Masdar holds a 49% stake worth €488 million. This wind farm commenced full operation in July 2025, providing electricity to approximately 475,000 homes and curbing around 800,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually.

A key aspect of the German Chancellor’s visit to the UAE in February included a strategic collaboration agreement between Abu Dhabi's Adnoc and German energy company RWE. This partnership aims to explore potential avenues for liquefied natural gas supply to Germany and European markets. German Chancellor Merz also visited Adnoc's headquarters as part of his official mission to the UAE, highlighting the escalating UAE-Germany strategic energy partnership.

In June, Badr Jafar, the UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs' special envoy for business and philanthropy, embarked on a visit to Germany. During this trip, Jafar held over a dozen meetings with senior executives from prominent German companies and institutions. These engagements, attended by UAE Ambassador to Germany Ahmed Alattar, underscored the growing significance of private sector partnerships in fortifying economic ties, according to the UAE ministry.

In 2019, Sheikh Mohamed had already visited Germany in his previous role as Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, where he met President Steinmeier and referred to the UAE and Germany as pillars of peace and stability in their respective regions.