DW | 2 February 2026
Merz in Abu Dhabi touts Germany as reliable investment partner
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz wrapped up a three-day tour of the Gulf region in Abu Dhabi on Friday by positioning Germany as a reliable investment partner, and eyeing a central role in a potential EU trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
"Germany is held in very high regard here, partly because we are a good place to invest," Merz said in Abu Dhabi.
The chancellor's trip, which included stops in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, comes as Germany seeks to diversify its economic and strategic partnerships amid increasing global economic instability, particularly brought on by US President Donald Trump's erratic trade policies.
"What is needed above all in a world of great uncertainty is reliability and consistency, including in bilateral relations," Merz said, adding that Gulf countries expect Germany to take on a significant degree of leadership in the European Union.
"We are a country that is reliable. We are a country that is prepared to cooperate more closely in foreign trade policy, including a possible trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates."
Summing up his three-day tour, Merz said his meetings in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE showed "what great potential we have."
After meeting with the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, in Doha on Thursday, Merz said Germany would work "more intensively in arms cooperation than in recent years" with what he described as reliable partners in the Gulf region. Merz also hinted at energy deals, with Germany ready to buy more liquefied natural gas from Qatar.
