By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
In his first overseas trip of 2026, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. met with UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and other key government officials upon arrival at Al Bateen Airport in Abu Dhabi on Monday night (11:09 p.m. local time).
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro earlier hinted at President Marcos Jr.’s state visit, upon the invitation of his Dubai counterpart to join the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2026—an annual event attended by world leaders, innovators, and investors to champion initiatives to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Revolving around the theme “The Nexus of Next: All Systems Go,” talks at the forum will shine a spotlight on harnessing modern technologies such as machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) to address matters concerning food supply chains, carbon emissions, and other important aspects of sustainability.
In his departure statement, the President said the Philippines is expected to actively contribute to discussions on complex and interconnected global issues, including energy, water, finance, food security, and environmental protection.
President Marcos Jr. will likewise ink two important documents with his counterparts during his visit to the Middle Eastern nation, which are the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Defense Cooperation.
He also expects that the outcomes of the visit are expected to benefit Filipinos in the Philippines and approximately 900,000 others residing in the Arab nation.
Moreover, the Chief Executive is scheduled to conduct business meetings and engage with members of the Filipino community during his visit, further deepening Manila’s bilateral ties with Dubai.
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