President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is flying to Abu Dhabi today, January 12, for a four-day working visit to the United Arab Emirates.
It marks his first overseas trip of 2026—and it comes with clear purpose.
The President is visiting at the invitation of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Along with fellow world leaders, Marcos will take part in Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, a global gathering focused on building a more resilient future.
During the visit, Marcos is expected to meet with government officials, business leaders, and members of civil society. Their discussions will center on shared global challenges—energy, water, food security, finance, and environmental protection. Issues that affect not just nations, but everyday lives.
A major highlight of the trip will be the signing of two landmark agreements between the Philippines and the UAE.
The first is the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA)—the Philippines’ first free trade deal with a Middle Eastern country. The agreement aims to open doors for Filipino businesses by expanding market access across the region. It covers trade in goods and services, investments, small and medium enterprises, digitalization, customs cooperation, governance, and sustainability.
Special Envoy for Trade and Investment to the UAE, Ma. Anna Kathryna Yu-Pimentel, called the CEPA “a historic step for Philippine trade and investment in the Middle East.”
The second agreement is a Memorandum of Understanding on Defense Cooperation, expected to deepen collaboration between the two countries in developing defense technologies and strengthening capabilities.
This visit builds on momentum from Marcos’ last trip to the UAE in November 2024, when the two nations marked 50 years of diplomatic relations. At the time, Marcos and Al Nahyan discussed cooperation in energy transition, artificial intelligence, the digital economy, and legal frameworks.
Joining the President on this trip are key Cabinet officials, including Foreign Affairs Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro, Trade and Industry Secretary Ma. Cristina Aldeguer-Roque, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac, Finance Acting Secretary Frederick Go, Presidential Communications Office Acting Secretary Dave Gomez, and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Administrator Patricia Yvonne Cunanan.
The welfare of Filipinos abroad remains a priority. UAE Ambassador to the Philippines Mohamed Alqataam Alzaabi reaffirmed his country’s commitment to protecting the rights and well-being of more than one million Filipinos living and working in the UAE.
Yu-Pimentel noted that CEPA negotiations gained strong momentum after discussions during the World Government Summit in Dubai in 2025, which included meetings involving First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and UAE officials.
So far, the Philippines and the UAE have signed around 22 agreements, spanning culture, energy transition, legal cooperation, government modernization, and security.
Economic ties continue to grow. In 2023, bilateral non-oil trade reached $1.08 billion, with the UAE emerging as the Philippines’ top export market in the Gulf. From 2019 to 2023, UAE investments in the Philippines exceeded $129 million.
As Marcos begins this new year of diplomacy, the message is clear: the Philippines is looking outward—strengthening partnerships, protecting its people, and securing opportunities for the future.
