The Emirates News Agency reported that UAE leaders have congratulated Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on the occasion of Brazil’s Independence Day. President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Vice President Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum both dispatched messages of greeting to mark the national occasion. The communications reflect longstanding diplomatic ties between the two nations as Brazil held its annual celebrations.
Bilateral relations between the UAE and Brazil were established in 1974 and elevated to strategic partnership status in 2021, according to the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Both countries participate actively in the expanded BRICS grouping, which now includes several major emerging economies. Coordination within this framework has grown in areas ranging from trade to multilateral diplomacy.
Bilateral trade between the two countries reached around $4.4 billion in 2025, the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs figures show. In March 2026 Brazil exported $207 million worth of goods to the UAE while importing $131 million, according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity. Top Brazilian exports included gold, poultry meat and chemical wood pulp while the UAE primarily supplied refined petroleum products.
UAE non-oil trade with BRICS nations surpassed $312 billion in 2025, a rise of 28.5 percent year on year that represented 31 percent of the UAE’s total non-oil foreign trade, a statement by UAE Minister of Foreign Trade Thani Al Zeyoudi indicated. BRICS members supplied 34 percent of UAE imports and received 23 percent of its non-oil exports that year. The minister described the bloc as a vital platform for practical economic cooperation during a 2026 trade meeting.
Brazil’s Independence Day on September 7 commemorates Prince Pedro’s declaration of independence from Portugal in 1822 along the banks of the Ipiranga River, according to historical accounts. The annual holiday features military parades in Brasília and public events across the country. It marks the conclusion of more than three centuries of colonial rule that ended with formal recognition by Portugal in 1825.
Emirati investments in Brazil are estimated at more than $10 billion, concentrated in infrastructure, biofuels, real estate and hospitality, the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported. Negotiations continue toward a comprehensive economic partnership agreement between Mercosur and the UAE that would further deepen commercial links. Officials from both sides have expressed commitment to expanding cooperation across energy, agriculture and technology sectors.
