The Emirates News Agency reported that President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan sent a message of congratulations to President Emmanuel Macron of France on the occasion of the country’s National Day. Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum conveyed a similar message, as did Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan. In their messages the UAE leaders expressed wishes for Macron’s continued good health along with progress and prosperity for the French government and its people.
The French National Day is marked each year on July 14 to commemorate the 1789 storming of the Bastille and the start of the French Revolution. The exchange of such greetings aligns with established diplomatic protocol between the UAE and France, which established formal relations in 1974. These messages from the UAE leadership underscore the depth of bilateral friendship that has expanded across political, economic and cultural domains over the past five decades.
Figures from the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs place bilateral trade at 10.8 billion euros in 2025, a 27 percent increase from the prior year. The UAE ranks as France’s leading customer in the Gulf region, absorbing 55.1 percent of French exports to the area while supplying key energy products that account for the bulk of French imports from the federation. This economic momentum supports wider collaboration in sectors ranging from aerospace and defense to renewable energy projects and cultural programming.
The two countries have coordinated on international files including Middle East stability, climate action and multilateral reform, with multiple leadership visits reinforcing the alignment in recent years. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has hosted Macron in Abu Dhabi on several occasions, while French officials have participated in UAE-led initiatives such as the COP28 climate summit. These interactions have helped translate shared interests into tangible partnerships that extend beyond annual ceremonial messages.
Additional data from the same French ministry shows the trade surplus with the UAE reached 8.6 billion euros in 2025, positioning the federation as France’s second-largest global trade surplus partner. The partnership has evolved to encompass emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, space cooperation and entrepreneurship, building on traditional strengths in luxury goods, pharmaceuticals and aviation. French assessments describe the relationship as one of the most comprehensive in the Gulf, a foundation that the latest round of congratulations further affirms.
