Arriving in Abu Dhabi on October 27, 2024, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh carried along his wife and a high-ranking Vietnamese entourage. PM Chinh was greeted warmly arriving at Zayed International Airport at 11 a.m. (local time) under direction of Vietnamese Ambassador to the UAE Nguyen Thanh Diep and UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zayoudi. First visit by a Vietnamese Prime Minister to the UAE in more than 15 years, accepting the invitation of UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan signals a sea change in Vietnamese-UAE relations. Emphasizing the value the UAE values in its relationship with Vietnam, the welcome event created a suitable setting for the visit meant to grow and strengthen this important cooperation.
Agreements between two nations and calculated diplomatic negotiations
PM Chinh is expected to have high-stakes talks with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahaney and Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum during his visit. These discussions are supposed to address numerous important concerns that would improve diplomatic ties and justify economic cooperation between the two countries. Among the main objectives of this visit are the official upgrading of diplomatic relations since both nations expected to sign multiple cooperation agreements covering fields including trade, technology, energy, culture, and innovation.
The intended agreements show a common will to support regional stability, ecologically friendly economic development, and creative industrial cooperation. From diversifying energy sources and looking at tech-driven investments to improving human resource development in high-growth sectors, this increased cooperation is aimed to meet the changing demands of both countries. These deeds show a forward-looking attitude as Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates try to seize possibilities inside rapidly evolving world marketplaces.
Increasing commercial possibilities and investment
This trip is a great chance to strengthen commercial and economic links between Vietnam and the UAE given Vietnam’s fast economic development and investment-driven economy. Underlining Vietnam’s will to present itself as a suitable investment destination, PM Chinh’s calendar consists of talks with UAE ministers, CEOs of well-known corporate companies, and leaders of investment funds, so encouraging more involvement. The Vietnam-UAE Corporate Forum, where business executives from both nations will convene to discuss joint projects, form new alliances, and investigate investment prospects, will highlight this trip. The forum should highlight Vietnam’s investing-friendly policies as well as UAE’s strategic posture as a gateway to African and Middle Eastern markets.
PM Chinh will also visit an exhibition highlighting VinFast, a Vietnamese electric car company whose outstanding technology and dedication to environmentally friendly mobility are well-known all around. This expo not only shows Vietnam’s capacity in the green automobile industry but also offers evidence of the nation’s increasing relevance in advanced manufacturing. Given the UAE’s goals in sustainability and clean energy, the expo stresses the possibility for future cooperation in the green technology sector as both countries strive at better, more sustainable businesses.
Policy Agenda and Enhancement of Cultural Interaction
PM Chinh’s visit will mostly be focused on his policy presentation at the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy, where he will go over Vietnam’s points of view on world affairs and goal of improving ties to the UAE. Emphasizing the congruence between Vietnamese and UAE ideals, this debate is aimed to demonstrate Vietnam’s commitment to economic resilience, regional security, and environmental sustainability. The address by PM Chinh will also center on Vietnam’s active ASEAN membership and rapidly growing economy, so asking the UAE to interact more with Southeast Asia through Vietnam.
Furthermore attending the Vietnamese embassy in Abu Dhabi will be PM Chinh, who will interact with the expatriate Vietnamese population consisting of students and professionals living in the UAE. This conference demonstrates the dedication of the Vietnamese government to assist its nationals living overseas and promote peace among diaspora people. With around 3,000 Vietnamese laborers employed in the UAE, this involvement emphasizes the significant contribution the Vietnamese community makes to fostering cross-cultural exchanges and hence to increase UAE economy.
Keep Reading
Economic relations—trade, investment, and CEPA negotiations
This trip runs against the background of growing commercial ties between the UAE and Vietnam. Given the UAE’s function as a commercial and logistical hub for the Middle East and Africa, Vietnam’s top export market nowadays is not shocking. Reflecting a strong development trend, bilateral trade in 2023 totaled $4.7 billion and in the first nine months of 2024 it had already increased to $4.96 billion. Inspired by their shared interest in high-value areas such technology, infrastructure, and renewable energy as well as their complementing economies, both countries have set a high aim for two-way trade at $10 billion.
Progress of talks toward a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Vietnam and the UAE takes front stage during the visit. Reducing trade obstacles, increasing regulatory collaboration, and therefore strengthening access to each other’s markets promotes CEPA discussions to increase trade flows, investment, and economic cooperation. Both countries are eager to finish the agreement while PM Chinh is here, thereby starting a new chapter in economic relations. Once completed, the CEPA would tremendously help Vietnamese exports—particularly in textiles, electronics, and agriculture—as well as benefit UAE companies’ access to Vietnam’s growing client base.
Rising investor in Vietnam, the UAE is likewise placed 52nd among all foreign investors there with 42 active projects valued at $71.6 million as of June 2024. Among investment areas reflecting UAE interest in Vietnam’s expanding home market, retail, real estate, and tourism are those ones. Given Vietnam’s development objectives, PM Chinh’s discussions with UAE business leaders will most certainly highlight fresh investment prospects in sectors including digital transformation, healthcare, and sustainable infrastructure.
Widening Cooperation into Other Domains
Beyond conventional sectors, PM Chinh’s visit lets Vietnam and the UAE look at cooperating projects in creative and expanding industries. Vietnam’s increasing technological and creative emphasis fits UAE’s goal of diversifying its economy with knowledge-based industries, research, and technology. With a view toward creating collaborations in renewable energy, creative manufacturing, and biotechnology, both nations have committed rather large amounts of research and development toward As Vietnamese and UAE businesses investigate new alliances in sectors such these ones, the visit might act as a catalyst for cooperation ventures in sectors including smart city technology, artificial intelligence-driven logistics, and sustainable agriculture.
Apart from strengthening Vietnam-UAE ties, PM Chinh’s visit aims to establish both countries as strategic partners with the same vision for world integration and sustainable development. While both nations control various economic conditions, the visit represents a pillar of solid diplomatic and commercial ties as well as a dedication to search possibilities in frontier sectors. The negotiations, agreements, and events held during PM Chinh’s visit to the UAE represent the aim of both nations to establish a strong, creative, and forward-looking alliance benefiting their people and thereby improving their places in the world economy.
With a program including diplomatic negotiations, business forums, and cultural events, PM Chinh’s historic visit establishes a solid example for ongoing cooperation between Vietnam and the UAE, introducing a new era of cooperation promising development, stability, and mutual prosperity.
