Middle East
Japan-United Arab Emirates Relations (Basic Data)
March 27, 2019
1. Political and Diplomatic Areas
- (1) Japan recognized the UAE as an independent state in December 1971.
- (2) Japan opened its embassy in the UAE in April 1974, while the UAE opened its embassy in Japan in December 1973.
- (3) Japan opened its consulate general in Dubai in January 1995.
- (4) The late President H.H. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan visited Japan as a state guest in May 1990.
H.I.H. Crown Prince and H.I.H. Crown Princess of Japan visited the UAE in January 1995.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited Japan as a guest of Ministry of Foreign Affairs in April 2004.
Prime Minister Mr. Shinzo Abe officially visited the UAE and convened a meeting with President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan in April 2007.
Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces H.H. General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited Japan on an official working visit in December 2007. - (5) President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum sent His Imperial Majesty a condolence telegram for the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011. Minister of Foreign Affairs H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and other senior officials signed the condolence book at the Embassy of Japan in the UAE.
- (6) Prime Minister Mr. Shinzo Abe visited the UAE in May 2013. He convened meetings with Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces H.H. General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, when Japan and the UAE jointly announced the statement on the strengthening of the comprehensive partnership between Japan and the UAE towards stability and prosperity.
- (7) Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited Japan as an official guest in February 2014 to follow up the Joint Statement issued during the Prime Minister's visit to the UAE in May 2013.
- (8) Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited Japan upon invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in April 2017. His Highness met H.I.H. Crown Prince of Japan, made a courtesy call to Prime Minister Mr. Shinzo Abe, and convened a meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Fumio Kishida
- (9) Prime Minister Mr. Shinzo Abe visited the UAE in April 2018. He convened a meeting with Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces H.H. General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and released Joint Statement on Deepening and Strengthening Strategic Partnership between Japan and the United Arab Emirates.
2. Economic Relations
(a) Amount of trade (2017, Japan's Ministry of Finance Trade Statistics)
- Exports to the UAE: USD 7.2 billion
- Imports from the UAE: USD 20.7 billion
(b) Major trade items
- Exports to the UAE: automobiles, machinery and electric products
- Imports from the UAE: petroleum, LNG, aluminum
(c) Economic cooperation
- ODA loans: none
- Grant aid: JPY 500 million (1 project in 1990)
- Technical cooperation: accumulated total JPY 3.727 billion (until 2002)
[note] The UAE has become no longer an ODA-eligible country in 1995 according to the DAC definitions.
3. Cultural Areas
In 2004, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research H.E. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan visited Japan and signed the “Memorandum of Cooperation on Higher Education and Scientific Research” with his counterpart Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Mr. Takeo Kawamura.
4. Number of Japanese Residents in the UAE
Approximately 4,073 (as of October 2017). There are Japanese schools in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
5. Major Exchanges of VIPs
(1) From Japan to the UAE
| Date | VIP |
|---|---|
| January 1995 | H.I.H. Crown Prince and H.I.H. Crown Princess |
| December 1996 | Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs Mr. Masahiko Koumura (to attend the 25th Anniversary Ceremony of Independent) |
| May 1999 | Minister for International Trade and Industry Mr. Kaoru Yosano |
| January 2001 | Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr. Yohei Kono |
| July 2001 | Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry Takeo Hiranuma |
| January 2004 | Minister for Foreign Affairs Ms. Yoriko Kawaguchi |
| November 2004 | Ambassador Ms. Yoriko Kawaguchi (Aide to Prime Minister, ex-Minister for Foreign Affairs, condolence visit for H.H. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the late President) |
| April 2007 | Prime Minister Mr. Shinzo Abe |
| January 2008 | Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry Mr. Akira Amari |
| October 2008 | Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr. Hirofumi Nakasone and Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Ms. Seiko Hashimoto |
| October 2009 | Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry Mr. Masayuki Naoshima |
| January 2011 | Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry Mr. Akihiro Ohata |
| October 2011 | Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry Mr. Yukio Edano |
| January 2012 | Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr. Koichiro Gemba |
| February 2013 | Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry Mr. Toshimitsu Motegi |
| May 2013 | Prime Minister Mr. Shinzo Abe |
| January 2014 | Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry Mr. Toshimitsu Motegi |
| August 2014 | Minister of State for Special Missions (Economic and Fiscal Policy) Mr. Akira Amari |
| January 2015 | Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry Mr. Yoichi Miyazawa |
| January 2017 | Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry Mr. Hiroshige Seko |
| December 2017 | Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr.Taro Kono |
| January 2018 | Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr.Taro Kono |
| January 2018 | Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry Mr. Hiroshige Seko |
| April 2018 | Prime Minister Mr. Shinzo Abe |
| January 2019 | Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry Mr. Hiroshige Seko |
(2) From the UAE to Japan (since 1980)
| Date | VIP |
|---|---|
| July 1980 | Minister of Petroleum H.E. Dr. Maneh Said Al Otaiba |
| October 1981 | Minister of Petroleum H.E. Dr. Maneh Said Al Otaiba |
| November 1983 | Minister of Defense H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Maklswm Al Maktoum |
| March 1984 | Minister of Petroleum H.E. Dr. Maneh Said Al Otaiba |
| September 1986 | Minister of Petroleum H.E. Dr. Maneh Said Al Otaiba |
| February 1988 | Minister of Petroleum H.E. Dr. Maneh Said Al Otaiba |
| February 1989 | H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs H.E. Rashid Abdullah Al-Nuaimi (to attend the state funeral for the late His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Showa) |
| May 1990 | The late President H.H. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (on a state visit) |
| November 1990 | H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (to attend the enthronement ceremony for His Imperial Majesty Akihito) |
| November 1994 | Minister of Economy and Commerce H.E. Said Ahmed Al Ghobash |
| April 1996 | H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan |
| January 2002 | Minister of Economy H.E. Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi |
| September 2002 | Minister of Oil and Mineral Resources H.E. Obeid bin Seif Al Nasseri |
| April 2004 | Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan (upon invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) |
| April 2007 | Minister of Economy H.E. Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi |
| December 2007 | Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces H.H. General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (on an official working visit) |
| April 2009 | Minister of Foreign Affairs H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan |
| April 2010 | H.H. Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of UAE Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah |
| May 2011 | Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum |
| April 2013 | Minister of Foreign Affairs H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan |
| August 2013 | Minister of State and CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) H.E. Dr. Sultan Jaber |
| February 2014 | Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces H.H. General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (on an official working visit) |
| April 2014 | Minister of State and CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) H.E. Dr. Sultan Jaber |
| November 2014 | Minister of Education H.E. Hussain Ibrahim Al Hammadi |
| September 2015 | Minister of Economy H.E.Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansoori |
| November 2015 | Minister of State H.E. Dr. Maitha bint Salem Al Shamsi |
| October 2016 | Minister of State for International Cooperation H.E. Reem Ebrahim Al-Hashimi |
| December 2016 | Minister of State for Happiness H.E. Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi |
| April 2017 | Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan |
| May 2017 | Minister of State H.E. Dr. Maitha bint Salem Al Shamsi |
| July 2017 | Minister of State and CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) H.E. Dr. Sultan Jaber |
| February 2018 | Minister of State and CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) H.E. Dr. Sultan Jaber |
| April 2018 | Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan (upon invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) |
| May 2018 | Minister of State for Defence Mohammed Al Bawardi |
| August 2018 | Minister of State and CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) H.E. Dr. Sultan Jaber |
| November 2018 | Minister of State H.E. Dr. Maitha bint Salem Al Shamsi |
6. Bilateral Treaties and Agreements
- (1) Agreement between Japan and the United Arab Emirates for Air Services (March 1998)
- (2) Agreement between the Government of Japan and the Government of the United Arab Emirates for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy (July 2014)
- (3) Agreement between Japan and the United Arab Emirates Concerning the Avoidance of Double Taxation on Income in Respect of the Operation of Ships or Aircraft in International Traffic (December 2004)
7. Diplomatic Representations
- (1) Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary H.E. Akihiko Nakajima
- (2) Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary H.E. Mr. Khaled Omran Sqait Sarhan Alameri