The Emirates News Agency reported that Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan held talks with Prime Minister Gaston Browne during the high-level week of the General Assembly. The two sides reviewed the existing friendship between the United Arab Emirates and Antigua and Barbuda while examining avenues to expand cooperation across multiple domains. Discussions addressed economic collaboration trade investment and opportunities in renewable energy as well as climate initiatives that align with both nations priorities. Officials exchanged perspectives on selected regional and international matters of shared concern.
A WAM dispatch noted that the meeting formed part of Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed series of bilateral engagements in New York with leaders attending the 79th session. The UAE delegation included Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashimy and Envoy to the Caribbean and Pacific States Omar Shehadeh. Their participation underscored the structured approach the UAE has adopted toward deepening relations with small island developing states in the Caribbean.
The UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism maintains an International Trade Relations Dashboard that tracks non-oil trade flows with partners including those in the Caribbean. CIA World Factbook figures from 2019 placed the United Arab Emirates among Antigua and Barbuda export destinations accounting for 8 percent of the latter total shipments. Subsequent official contacts have built on that baseline with a 2025 ministerial meeting that examined air connectivity and joint tourism packages according to eTurboNews reporting.
WAM coverage of parallel meetings during the same UNGA session listed cooperation in technology artificial intelligence culture education agriculture food security and renewable energy as recurring themes. The agency indicated that similar subjects featured in the conversation with the Antiguan prime minister given the two countries overlapping interests in sustainable development. Both parties agreed to sustain dialogue aimed at converting the identified priorities into tangible joint projects.
Separate data compiled by the Ministry of Economy and Tourism highlight the UAE broader outreach to Caribbean economies through targeted agreements and reciprocal visits. These efforts complement the United Arab Emirates longstanding support for climate resilience programs that benefit vulnerable island nations such as Antigua and Barbuda. The New York meeting therefore fits within an established pattern of engagement that has intensified since the UAE hosted COP28 in 2023.
The Emirates News Agency added that the discussion concluded with mutual expressions of readiness to advance the partnership through diplomatic and technical channels. Follow-up mechanisms will be coordinated via the UAE envoy responsible for Caribbean affairs and relevant ministries in both capitals. This approach ensures continuity beyond the annual General Assembly gatherings.
