Lead:
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, participated in the 52nd G7 Summit hosted by France, engaging in a series of high-level bilateral meetings with world leaders including U.S. President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, in addition to the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission. The meetings underscored the UAE's growing role as a strategic partner in global affairs.
Details:
According to Al Khaleej and WAM state news agency reporting, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed met separately with Trump, Macron, Modi, Carney, and Merz on the sidelines of the summit, with discussions covering bilateral strategic relations, regional developments, and avenues for expanded cooperation. The UAE's participation in the summit was described by diplomatic adviser Dr. Anwar bin Mohamed Gargash as a recognition of the country's development model and its constructive global role.
Al Khaleej further reports that Gargash addressed remarks attributed to Amro Moussa, stating that any discussion of new regional arrangements cannot overlook what he characterized as Iranian aggression, insisting this reality must remain central to any future regional framework. This statement signals the UAE's firm positioning on Gulf security architecture amid ongoing diplomatic realignments.
WAM reports that Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed also held a bilateral meeting on the summit sidelines with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, during which the two leaders reviewed fraternal ties, bilateral cooperation, and regional and international developments of mutual concern.
Al Khaleej also reports that the UAE reaffirmed its commitment to the two-state solution for the Palestinian question, with a UAE delegation led by Minister Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar participating in the second edition of the Paris Call for a Two-State Solution, hosted by France.
Watch For:
Whether the high-level engagements at the G7 summit translate into concrete bilateral agreements or joint statements, particularly regarding UAE-U.S. strategic and economic cooperation, in the weeks following the summit.
How the UAE's stated position on Iranian regional conduct, as articulated by Gargash, will factor into broader Gulf Cooperation Council diplomatic postures as regional security discussions continue.
The trajectory of the UAE's Gaza-related humanitarian and political commitments, including the continued operations of the UAE floating hospital at Al-Arish port in Egypt, in light of the country's renewed public endorsement of the two-state framework at the Paris conference.