UAE-Italy investment ties strengthened as Minister Abdullah bin Touq holds talks at Investopia Europe in Milan
UAE-Italy investment ties strengthened as Minister Abdullah bin Touq met Italian and Maltese officials at Investopia Europe in Milan on May 15, 2026, to pursue partnerships across innovation, tourism and green industries.
Abdullah bin Touq, the UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism and co‑chair of Investopia’s Board of Trustees, conducted a series of bilateral meetings in Italy and Malta on the sidelines of the fourth Investopia Europe — Milan conference. The talks, held beginning May 15, 2026, focused on expanding economic and investment cooperation and identifying priority sectors for deeper partnership. The discussions underline the UAE’s strategic push to consolidate its role as a trusted global economic partner through targeted, high‑value collaborations.
Bin Touq holds bilateral talks at Investopia Europe in Milan
Bin Touq met with leading Italian ministers and regional officials to map out next steps for trade and investment cooperation between the UAE and Italy. Meetings included sessions with the Italian Minister of Enterprises and “Made in Italy”, the Minister of Tourism, and the Minister of Economy and Finance, where agendas ranged from market access to joint projects. The minister emphasised that the UAE’s open, collaborative economic model is designed to attract quality partnerships and long‑term investment.
The Investopia Europe forum provided the platform for focused ministerial dialogue and private‑sector engagement, allowing UAE officials to showcase opportunities for joint ventures and technology transfer. Bin Touq framed the engagements as part of a wider effort to leverage strategic partnerships with European markets to accelerate UAE priorities in innovation and sustainability. His interventions highlighted practical measures to ease business expansion and enable startups from both markets to scale.
Meetings with Urso, Giorgetti and Mazzi target industrial, financial and tourism links
In talks with Adolfo Urso, the Italian minister responsible for enterprises and the “Made in Italy” agenda, both sides explored ways to broaden industrial cooperation and deepen investment flows. Discussions targeted advanced manufacturing, supply‑chain integration and incentives to increase Italian company participation in UAE projects. The ministerial exchange also covered support mechanisms to help Italian small and medium enterprises and startups scale into Gulf markets.
Bin Touq’s meeting with Italy’s Minister of Economy and Finance, Giancarlo Giorgetti, addressed macroeconomic and financial cooperation, including financing channels to back private‑sector growth and sustainability initiatives. The tourism dialogue with Minister Gianmarco Mazzi focused on linking destinations, improving air connectivity and promoting luxury and tech‑enabled tourism offerings. Each meeting aimed to convert strategic intent into concrete bilateral initiatives and investment pipelines.
Italian business presence in the UAE reaches about 4,900 companies by March 2026
A key highlight of the Milan engagements was the confirmation that roughly 4,900 Italian companies were operating in the UAE by the end of March 2026. That figure reflects sustained commercial ties and growing confidence among Italian investors in the UAE’s market and regulatory environment. UAE officials cited the number as evidence of robust private‑sector linkages that can be further deepened through targeted cooperation.
Officials stressed that the scale of Italian corporate presence provides a foundation for expanding joint projects in sectors such as logistics, real estate and business services. The UAE continues to position itself as a regional hub for European businesses, offering market access across the Gulf Cooperation Council and beyond. Both sides signalled interest in programmes to simplify market entry and support bilateral trade facilitation.
Priority sectors named: innovation, clean energy, AI and digital infrastructure
Across meetings, officials identified innovation, clean energy, artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure as priority sectors for new partnerships and investment. The UAE highlighted opportunities in sustainability and the new economy where combined expertise could accelerate decarbonisation and technology adoption. Italian capabilities in design, advanced manufacturing and luxury hospitality were flagged as complementary to UAE ambitions in high‑value tourism and services.
Both parties discussed mechanisms to support joint R&D, pilot projects and startup exchanges that could fast‑track commercialization of new technologies. Emphasis was placed on creating regulatory and financing frameworks that encourage private capital participation in sustainable projects. Officials also considered collaboration in logistics, smart cities and digital platforms to enhance cross‑border trade and supply‑chain resilience.
Lombardy collaboration to boost regional innovation and entrepreneurship
Bin Touq held a dedicated session with Attilio Fontana, President of the Lombardy Region, to explore subnational cooperation tied to Lombardy’s strengths in industry and innovation. The talks aimed at exchanges of expertise in high‑tech manufacturing, biomedical research and regional entrepreneurship ecosystems. Both sides discussed avenues for academic and private‑sector partnerships that could support talent mobility and joint incubation programmes.
Regional linkages with Lombardy were described as a means to broaden Italy–UAE engagement beyond national capitals and connect Emirati investors with Italian clusters of excellence. Participants noted that deeper ties at the regional level would support diversified investment pipelines and strengthen bilateral cooperation in targeted industrial corridors. Proposals included trade missions and sectoral roadshows to match investors with vetted partners.
Engagement with Malta seeks to expand private‑sector channels in digital services and tourism
Bin Touq’s meeting with the Maltese special envoy to the Gulf, Zakari Borg, focused on building wider channels for private‑sector collaboration between the UAE and Malta. Discussions centred on digital services, fintech, and niche tourism linkages that leverage Malta’s regulatory and technology strengths. Both sides also explored joint initiatives to support cross‑border startups and expertise sharing in maritime services and digital governance.
Officials emphasised creating practical cooperation frameworks that enable small economies like Malta to plug into larger GCC markets via UAE platforms. Talks aimed to encourage private investors to pursue jointly structured deals and to scale Malta‑UAE partnerships in targeted technology and service sectors. The engagement underscored the UAE’s broader approach of fostering diversified European ties to complement bilateral relations with larger economies.
The Milan engagements reflect a coordinated UAE strategy to translate diplomatic outreach into measurable economic outcomes by prioritising targeted sectors and building private‑sector channels. With around 4,900 Italian firms already active in the UAE and new cooperation avenues under discussion, officials expect a stream of partnerships and investment projects to follow from the Investopia Europe dialogues.