Relationship dossier
Canada
United Arab Emirates
Relationship assessment
Practical cooperation and economic engagement coexist with a past dispute over aviation access.
Canada toward United Arab Emirates
+25Canada negotiated aviation arrangements with the UAE and removed visa requirements for Emirati citizens in 2018, facilitating travel. The two governments have also pursued closer economic engagement.
United Arab Emirates toward Canada
+25The UAE imposed visa restrictions on Canadians amid the dispute over access to Canadian airports, then later eased travel barriers. Emirati investment and economic engagement have also contributed to bilateral ties.
Overall relationship
+25The relationship combines practical aviation and travel cooperation with economic engagement. A dispute over Canadian airport access produced a period of strained ties and UAE visa restrictions, but later steps to ease travel barriers support a more cooperative pattern overall.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Canada and the United Arab Emirates have developed practical aviation and travel ties, alongside recurring economic and diplomatic engagement. A dispute over UAE access to Canadian airports strained relations around 2010, and the UAE imposed visa restrictions on Canadians. The countries later eased travel barriers and pursued closer bilateral cooperation, although the extent and implementation of wider agreements are unclear.
Areas of tension
- UAE requests for greater access to Canadian airports and flight capacity led to a bilateral dispute and UAE visa restrictions on Canadians.
Key developments
A dispute over UAE airline access to Canadian airports was accompanied by UAE visa restrictions on Canadian citizens.
Canada removed visa requirements for Emirati citizens, easing travel between the countries.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of bilateral aviation and economic arrangements are unclear.
- The extent of ongoing defense and diplomatic cooperation is uncertain.