Relationship dossier
Italy
United Arab Emirates
Relationship assessment
Strategic cooperation in trade, energy and defense, alongside past friction over arms exports
Italy toward United Arab Emirates
+35Italy has pursued economic, energy and defense cooperation with the UAE through a bilateral strategic partnership. In 2021, Italy restricted arms exports to the UAE amid concerns linked to the Yemen conflict, then lifted the restrictions in 2023.
United Arab Emirates toward Italy
+40The UAE has participated in a bilateral strategic partnership with Italy covering economic, energy and defense cooperation. The scope of UAE government initiatives under that partnership is not clear.
Overall relationship
+40The strategic partnership and cooperation across economic, energy and defense matters form the main structure of Italy–UAE relations. Italy's 2021 arms-export restrictions over concerns linked to Yemen were a significant point of friction, but were lifted in 2023.
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
Italy and the United Arab Emirates have developed a strategic partnership encompassing economic, energy and defense cooperation. Bilateral ties also faced friction when Italy restricted arms exports to the UAE in 2021 amid concerns linked to the Yemen conflict; Italy lifted those restrictions in 2023. The partnership has continued alongside this episode of disagreement.
Areas of tension
- Italy's 2021 restrictions on arms exports to the UAE amid concerns linked to the Yemen conflict
Key developments
Italy and the UAE established a strategic partnership covering cooperation in areas including economic affairs, energy and defense.
Italy restricted arms exports to the UAE amid concerns linked to the Yemen conflict.
Italy lifted its arms-export restrictions on the UAE.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of the strategic partnership's commitments are unclear.
- The extent of current defense cooperation and its practical outcomes is uncertain.