Relationship dossier
Philippines
United Arab Emirates
Relationship assessment
Trade and labor cooperation underpin Philippines–United Arab Emirates ties
Philippines toward United Arab Emirates
+35The Philippine government has pursued trade cooperation with the UAE through the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement and engages in bilateral labor cooperation concerning Filipinos working there. These measures provide practical channels for economic ties and migrant-worker issues.
United Arab Emirates toward Philippines
+35The UAE government concluded a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with the Philippines and has engaged in bilateral labor cooperation concerning Filipino workers. The UAE has also provided humanitarian assistance to the Philippines, including relief following Typhoon Haiyan.
Overall relationship
+35The relationship has a durable cooperative basis in the trade agreement and labor arrangements addressing a substantial Filipino workforce in the UAE. UAE humanitarian assistance to the Philippines adds a further area of practical cooperation. The scope and implementation of these arrangements are not fully clear.
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
The Philippines and the United Arab Emirates have developed practical cooperation on trade and labor mobility. Their Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement provides a durable framework for expanding economic ties, while bilateral labor cooperation addresses the rights and conditions of Filipino workers in the UAE. The UAE has also provided humanitarian assistance to the Philippines, including after Typhoon Haiyan.
Key developments
The Philippines and the UAE signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement to expand bilateral trade and economic cooperation.
The UAE provided humanitarian relief to the Philippines following Typhoon Haiyan.
Major uncertainties
- The implementation and economic effects of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement are unclear.
- The scope and practical impact of bilateral labor protections for Filipino workers in the UAE are uncertain.