OTTAWA — Canada and the United Arab Emirates signed a free trade deal on Tuesday they say was reached in a “record” time of 47 days, and have also agreed to start talks on an extradition treaty.
The trade deal was one of a handful of trade and infrastructure agreements signed during the crown prince of Abu Dhabi’s visit to Ottawa on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomed Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to Parliament Hill. The crown prince’s motorcade was escorted onto the Hill by four RCMP horses.
It’s just the latest example of the Carney government’s outreach to nations with questionable human rights records as it works to redirect Canada’s trade around an increasingly erratic United States.
Carney was in Turkey last week to discuss deeper economic and social ties with the NATO ally. In recent months, Turkish authorities have targeted multiple LGBTQ+ groups and individuals — detaining dozens of activists, breaking into association offices and raiding popular hangouts.
The UAE has taken on increasing importance in global politics and has been praised for work aimed at ending conflicts in the Mideast and Ukraine. But the country has been accused of fuelling a militia in Sudan that conducted what Washington has called a genocide — a claim Abu Dhabi denies.
Asked Tuesday about human rights concerns linked to the UAE, International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu said “human rights never takes a back seat with Canada.”
“It’s important that we continue to engage, being at those tables to make sure that we raise whatever we need to raise in terms of human rights,” he said.
At home, Human Rights Watch says the UAE is responsible for “rampant systemic human rights violations,” particularly with regard to freedom of speech.
Seventeen civil society organizations signed an open letter earlier this year warning Canada against deeper ties to the UAE and arguing the country is perpetuating the war in Sudan.
The letter, signed by the Trade Justice Network, Amnistie internationale Canada francophone and Equality Fund, said as Canada looks to diversify its trade, it needs to assert support for human rights as a core Canadian value.
“Our prosperity cannot be built at the expense of the lives and futures of the Sudanese people,” said the letter.
Ministers from Canada and the UAE have also signed agreements pledging investments in clean power and energy infrastructure and collaboration on diplomatic training.
They’ve signed an agreement on defence co-operation covering military education and training, joint exercises, cybersecurity and information sharing, as well as the creation of a joint military committee.
Stephanie Kusie, Conservative MP and critic for international trade, said in a social media post Tuesday that it’s “tiresome” to see the prime minister holding “yet another flashy meeting with no tangible outcomes for Canadians, as he did today with the UAE.”
“Instead of another fancy ceremony, Canadians deserve clear information about the number of jobs and the names of projects involved, not another vague ‘strategic partnership’ that lacks any real details on how it would improve their lives,” she said.
The Prime Minister’s Office said the trade deal will reduce or eliminate tariffs on more than 99 per cent of current Canadian exports to the UAE once it’s fully implemented.
The office says the agreement will also address non-tariff barriers, create a more predictable environment for trade and investment and expand market access for Canadian goods and services, including those in the industrial, agricultural, forest, fish and seafood, environmental and engineering sectors.
The Prime Minister’s Office said the trade agreement is expected to take effect next year.
During the visit, Canada and the UAE also announced they will launch negotiations on an extradition treaty and a mutual legal assistance treaty.
During a meeting with the crown prince in his West Block office, Carney said the visit would reinforce the countries’ partnership, which has grown substantially over the past year.
At a state dinner for the crown prince hosted by Carney in downtown Ottawa on Monday, the prime minister said the two countries are united in their determination to “build for the future.”
Carney travelled to the United Arab Emirates last year. At the end of that November visit, the prime minister said Ottawa was working on a $1-billion project to expand critical minerals processing capacity in Canada.
At the same time, the UAE pledged to invest about $70 billion in Canada.
Sidhu said Tuesday that sum could include new investments in mining, logistics, energy and digital technology.
“They are actively looking at deploying that as soon as possible,” he said. “They’ll have more to say publicly soon.”
The Prime Minister’s Office said the visit led to “significant progress” on the UAE’s commitment to invest in Canada.
It said Emirati multinational logistics company DP World has signed an agreement with the Arctic Gateway Group and CentrePort Canada to advance trade opportunities and develop a transportation corridor linking the Port of Churchill, the Hudson Bay Railway, CentrePort Canada and DP World’s global logistics network.
It said agreements were signed between renewable energy company Masdar and Natural Resources Canada on green energy projects, and between Invest in Canada and the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry on sharing information and co-ordinating visits.
The Liberals have set out to double non-U.S. exports over the next decade. The government’s spring economic update said non-U.S. goods and services exports increased by $33 billion in 2025 compared to 2024.
In 2025, Canada’s two-way merchandise trade with the UAE was valued at $3.5 billion, with $2.8 billion in exports and $679.1 million in imports.
-With files from Dylan Robertson
Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press
