UAE and Lebanon Open New Chapter in Business Relations with Joint Council

The United Arab Emirates and Lebanon are creating a new institutional channel for private-sector cooperation, with the two sides agreeing to establish a joint business council aimed at increasing investment, trade and commercial partnerships between their business communities.

The agreement was reached during a UAE-Lebanon Business Forum in Beirut, where government officials, chambers of commerce and business leaders examined opportunities across several sectors. The UAE delegation included around 80 business and economic representatives, reflecting growing interest from Emirati companies in opportunities emerging from Lebanon’s economic recovery.

The new council is expected to become a platform through which companies can identify potential investments, develop partnerships and address practical obstacles to doing business across the two markets. Its initial work will include identifying priority sectors, arranging sector-focused business meetings and supporting efforts to make cross-border investment easier.

The move comes as bilateral economic relations show signs of renewed momentum. Non-oil trade between the UAE and Lebanon reached approximately $4.2 billion in 2025, marking an increase of more than one-third from the previous year and placing trade at one of its strongest levels in recent years.

Several other agreements signed during the Beirut meetings are expected to complement the new council. These include cooperation between the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Beirut and Mount Lebanon Chamber, while UAE-based Elite Agro Holding signed separate agreements involving agricultural research, food security, agritech and greenhouse development.

The discussions also identified areas such as logistics, agriculture, energy, technology, aviation, tourism, infrastructure and reconstruction as potential fields for stronger cooperation. Lebanon’s needs for investment and development in these sectors could create opportunities for companies with capital, technology and international operating experience.

For Lebanon, closer engagement with UAE businesses could provide access to investment and commercial networks at a time when the country continues to seek stronger private-sector activity and economic recovery. The UAE, meanwhile, could benefit from early participation in sectors where Lebanon has established business expertise, human capital and significant development requirements.

The economic initiative is also taking place against the backdrop of improving relations between the two countries. The UAE lifted restrictions on travel by Emirati citizens to Lebanon in June, another development that has supported the broader reopening of economic and commercial links.

The establishment of the council does not by itself guarantee major investment commitments, but it creates a formal mechanism for converting business interest into potential projects. Its effectiveness will depend on whether discussions lead to actual partnerships, financing, trade agreements and investments.

The latest developments nevertheless point to a broader shift in UAE-Lebanon relations, with economic cooperation becoming an increasingly important part of the renewed engagement. If the council succeeds in connecting investors with viable projects, it could provide businesses in both countries with a more direct route to expand into each other’s markets.