Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu responds to a question during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on April 27, 2026. The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick
The governments of Canada and the United Arab Emirates say they have concluded negotiations on a free-trade agreement.
International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu told a press conference in Toronto on Friday that the next steps include legal review, the signing of the deal and ratification.
UAE Minister of Foreign Trade Thani al-Zeyoudi said the agreement was reached in 47 days, which he called “record time.”
Sidhu said he plans to travel to the UAE with a Canadian trade and investment delegation later this year.
The federal government’s website says bilateral merchandise trade between Canada and the UAE reached $3.4 billion in 2024.
The United Arab Emirates pledged last year to invest around $70 billion in Canada and al-Zeyoudi said he is expecting that announcements about investments will be made soon.
