Relationship dossier
Switzerland
United Arab Emirates
Relationship assessment
Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates sustain close economic ties supported by trade, investment and legal agreements.
Switzerland toward United Arab Emirates
+40Switzerland has pursued trade relations with the UAE through the EFTA-GCC free trade agreement and concluded bilateral agreements with the UAE on taxation and investment. These arrangements provide concrete foundations for economic cooperation.
United Arab Emirates toward Switzerland
+40The UAE has participated in the EFTA-GCC free trade agreement and concluded bilateral agreements with Switzerland on taxation and investment, establishing practical frameworks for trade and economic relations.
Overall relationship
+40The relationship is anchored by durable economic and legal arrangements, including the EFTA-GCC free trade agreement and bilateral agreements on taxation and investment. These provide sustained grounds for cooperation, although the breadth of political and security ties is less 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
Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates maintain a substantially cooperative relationship, supported by economic and legal agreements and sustained bilateral engagement. Switzerland has pursued trade and investment arrangements with the UAE through EFTA and bilateral agreements. The UAE has participated in these arrangements and concluded bilateral agreements with Switzerland, including on taxation and investment. The extent of cooperation beyond these areas is less clear.
Key developments
Switzerland and the UAE concluded a bilateral agreement on investment promotion and protection.
Switzerland and the UAE concluded a bilateral agreement on the avoidance of double taxation.
The EFTA-GCC free trade agreement, which includes the UAE, was signed and later entered into force.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of bilateral cooperation beyond trade, investment and taxation are unclear.
- The extent of ongoing political and security cooperation is unclear.