Prime Minister Mark Carney has concluded a closely managed visit to the United Arab Emirates with a pledge that the Gulf state will invest the equivalent of $70 billion in Canada, even as questions persist over the UAE’s alleged role in fueling ethnic violence in Sudan.The investment announcement came Friday during the Canada-UAE Investment Summit in Abu Dhabi, following a week in which Ottawa signed an investment-protection agreement and launched negotiations toward a broader trade pact aimed at establishing a comprehensive economic partnership agreement.Carney told the Canada-UAE Business Council that Ottawa is finalizing a $1-billion project to expand critical minerals processing capacity in Canada, calling it a move that will generate jobs and strengthen supply chains needed for clean energy and advanced manufacturing..“An agreement valued over $1 billion is in the process of being finalized,” Carney said. “It will expand critical minerals processing capacity in Canada, creating jobs and boosting the long-term supply of minerals essential to energy technologies and advanced manufacturing.”Carney framed the project, and the UAE’s pledged investment, as part of a broader effort to commercialize Canada’s strengths in AI, quantum research and life sciences.“We welcome UAE investors to visit Canada — I will personally host them — to explore investment in Canada’s transformative projects,” he said..The Prime Minister’s Office said the expected US$50-billion investment will target critical minerals, energy, ports and artificial intelligence as part of a bilateral investment framework agreement, though it did not provide a timeline for when the funds will flow.Carney said he is “very confident” Canada and the UAE can more than double their trade volume within a decade, describing the two countries as “deeply aligned” in pursuing energy transition, technological development and sovereign investment.Earlier in the visit, Carney met with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Industry Minister Sultan al-Jaber and senior executives from sovereign wealth funds including Mubadala, MGX, ADQ and ADIC. He also toured the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, calling the site “inspiring” and a symbol of global collaboration..However, media access was heavily restricted. Emirati officials barred journalists from attending bilateral meetings, and the visit did not include a news conference which is access normally granted to foreign media during official visits.The reduced visibility coincided with renewed scrutiny over allegations the UAE has supplied weapons to the Rapid Support Forces, a Sudanese paramilitary group accused of mass ethnic killings in the country’s ongoing civil war. The UAE has denied the claims, though a United Nations panel described the allegations as “credible.”Carney told reporters he raised the conflict during his meeting with Sheikh Mohamed but did not say whether he accepts UAE denials or allegations from human-rights organizations..“We did discuss the situation in Sudan,” Carney said, adding the conversation focused on the so-called Quad diplomatic process involving the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United States.A readout of the meeting referenced discussions on Palestine but made no mention of Sudan.Carney’s visit follows a bilateral agreement last month to expand collaboration on artificial intelligence and data infrastructure.The prime minister is expected to leave Abu Dhabi Friday for Johannesburg, where he will join world leaders at the G20 summit. Canada has identified five priorities for the gathering: improving critical-mineral supply chains, harnessing AI for sustainable development, preventing wildfires and disasters, reforming global development financing and debt, and advancing gender equality through economic growth.This marks the first visit to the UAE by a sitting Canadian prime minister since 1983.
