Ministers engage in high-level diplomacy spanning renewable energy, healthcare innovation, and regional security during the 81st UNGA session in New York.
NEW YORK — September 27, 2026 : The United Arab Emirates expanded its diplomatic and economic engagements in New York on Sunday, holding bilateral talks with international heads of state, international health organizations, and regional security coalitions on the third day of the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
Cabinet ministers and senior officials represented the Emirates across roundtables and multilateral sessions focused on energy transition, preventative healthcare, climate vulnerability, and Middle East stability.
Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, held bilateral discussions with Finnish President Alexander Stubb. The two leaders focused on scaling joint initiatives in renewable energy, industrial technology, and bilateral trade pathways between the UAE and Nordic markets.
Economic strategy featured prominently in discussions led by Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade. Addressing the 8th European Corporate Council on Africa and the Middle East (ECAM Council), Al Zeyoudi highlighted the commercial corridor linking the two regions, urging institutional investors to back cross-continental trade frameworks. In a separate roundtable hosted by the US-UAE Business Council, Al Zeyoudi met American corporate executives to examine non-oil bilateral trade growth and foreign direct investment opportunities.
Global health initiatives dominated discussions led by Ahmed Al Sayegh, Minister of Health and Prevention, and Dr. Maha Barakat, Assistant Minister for Health and Life Sciences. The delegation met World Health Organisation Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to evaluate UAE-WHO field programs and pandemic preparedness initiatives.
Al Sayegh and Dr. Barakat also took part in the Future Health High-Level Dialogue, which focused on preventative population health and data-driven disease monitoring. Alongside Saeed Al Hajeri, Minister of State, the officials co-chaired an executive roundtable with life sciences and pharmaceutical leaders to explore regional manufacturing capacity and drug discovery pipelines.
On environmental priorities, Dr. Amna Al Dahak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, addressed a high-level plenary on sea-level rise convened by General Assembly President Khalilur Rahman. Al Dahak called for targeted international financing for low-lying and coastal developing nations directly threatened by ocean warming and rising water levels.
Regional diplomacy formed a central pillar of the day’s agenda. Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar, Minister of State, represented the UAE at a ministerial session of the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, co-chaired by Saudi Arabia, the European Union, and Norway alongside the Arab-Islamic contact group. Al Marar reiterated the Emirates’ push for enduring peace in the Middle East and renewed support for multilateral frameworks aimed at resolving the Gaza conflict in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2803.
Al Marar also took part in the annual Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Ministerial Coordination Meeting and the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) session on Palestinian development assistance, calling for unified regional action. Concurrently, Saeed Al Hajeri represented the Emirates at the Forum of Small States (FOSS) reception hosted by Singapore’s Foreign Minister Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, reiterating support for sovereign multilateral cooperation.
