As published in
Georgia’s partnership with the United Arab Emirates has emerged as one of the country’s most strategically significant. Grounded in shared values, the relationship now spans high-level diplomacy, business ties and large-scale investment. As Georgia leverages its growing role as a regional trade and logistics hub, the UAE’s backing for its Middle Corridor vision highlights the alignment between the two countries, focused through the lens of opportunity, economic growth and broad-based cooperation with the Middle East.
Underpinning the relationship is a strong connection at the highest levels of government. September 2025 saw UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan pay an official state visit to Georgia, where he was welcomed by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze. The occasion marked a diplomatic milestone, building on the Prime Minister’s January visit to Abu Dhabi, and the UAE President reaffirmed the depth of bilateral ties at the summit. “There is a strong bond between Georgia and the United Arab Emirates,” he said. “Our two nations share a common vision centred on stability, peace and people-to-people connections.”
The high-level meeting also provided an opportunity to review progress made under the UAE–Georgia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). The deal came into force in June 2024, providing a legal and commercial framework for deeper cooperation. The CEPA covers over 90% of tariff lines and is backed by simplified customs procedures, investment protections and provisions on services—supporting Georgia’s efforts to attract long-term capital and strengthen its integration with regional and global markets.
Also on the agenda at September’s summit was the conclusion of a landmark investment agreement. Emaar’s planned commitment to developments in Tbilisi and Batumi was already among the largest in the country’s history, but the deal’s announcement brought confirmation of an increased figure over $6 billion. This expanded commitment, together with the recent opening of the Tbilisi Dry Port in partnership with Abu Dhabi-based AD Ports Group and UAE renewables company Masdar’s agreement with the Georgian Energy Development Fund, all represent a further vote of confidence in Georgia’s long-term economic trajectory and ensures the country remains a focus for global investors in real estate and beyond.
Georgia is also expanding economic dialogue with other regional partners. In 2025, the country launched CEPA negotiations with Qatar, aiming to build on the successful framework established with the UAE. As Georgia strengthens its ties with Gulf states, the partnership with the UAE stands as both a foundation and a benchmark.
Q: What are Georgia’s main economic priorities?
Support for private sector development in general, and especially the development of SMEs, is set out as a priority. The SME sector makes up 99.7% of the total number of businesses in Georgia, and the output of the sector has more than tripled over the last decade, from $4.6 billion in 2012 to $15.3 billion in 2023.
Q: What makes Georgia attractive for investors?
Over the last decade, the government has been active in investing in the environment to facilitate business processes in this country, create an attractive investment climate and establish a transparent and predictable tax regime.
Investors doing business in Georgia not only have access to the local geography but also tariff-free access to wider markets. Technology is a top priority for us because it creates high-profile jobs and brings capital investment, intellect and expertise, all of which will benefit the Georgian economy.
Q: Where do you see the strongest synergies with the UAE?
The relationship with the UAE in terms of technological developments is important. We have a lot to exchange, and from an investment perspective, Georgia targets the UAE investment market as a top priority because there is good synergy in what UAE investors can gain from the Georgian market. We share values with the UAE in terms of entrepreneurial mindset and cultural ties.
The tourism sector is another top priority, being a solid contributor to the Georgian economy. It is rapidly developing thanks to excellent connectivity.
Georgia’s Agency for Innovation and Technology (GITA) was set up to advance the innovation ecosystem.
GITA was established in 2014 to accelerate progress towards the ‘fourth industrial revolution’. Since then, the agency has created multiple science and technology parks, business incubators, accelerators and innovation labs, as well as providing funding opportunities, co-working spaces and training and conference facilities to support tech startups.
GITA Chair Avtandil Kasradze has been with the agency since its inception. “At that time, very few people in the government or the public believed that Georgia could be ambitious and create an innovation agenda,” he says. Today, as the agency celebrates its tenth anniversary, bold new plans have been announced to integrate innovation into every sector of Georgia’s economic development. “GITA will be creating more programmes, not only supporting innovative startups but also traditional companies if they want to spend on R&D.” The 500 Global accelerator programme for EECCA startups, delivered in collaboration with the Bank of Georgia, has also just rolled out its latest application phase. “500 Global’s presence in Georgia shows there are worthwhile investment opportunities here,” Kasradze adds.
Tech-focused companies like Keepz (fintech), Lemondo (apps), Calen AI and Electrify (EV charging) are already shifting the innovation dial in Georgia. “Our region is small, and we do not see each other as competition,” Kasradze says. “Rather, we want to uplift one another to become globally competitive.” Nevertheless, GITA is looking to attract more international investment to unlock the country’s full potential—and Kasradze sees synergies with UAE as a forward-looking, innovation-driven economy. “The UAE is one of Georgia’s strategic partners,” he says. “There is a huge opportunity in the innovative ecosystem to merge and share expertise between the two countries.”
Strategic investments by UAE firms highlight Georgia’s status as a rising hub for trade, energy and regional connectivity.
Georgia’s emergence as a gateway between Europe and Asia is drawing sustained interest from the UAE, with Emirati firms leading transformative investments in real estate, logistics and energy. The country’s strong performance in the first half of 2025 has led the IMF to upgrade its growth forecasts, noting the economy’s ‘impressive resilience’. By combining geographic advantage with pro-investor policy, Georgia presents a compelling long-term proposition.
At the forefront is Emaar’s $6.6 billion investment in projects across Tbilisi and Batumi. “These developments reflect our long-term commitment to Georgia,” says Emaar Founder and Chairman Mohamed Alabbar. “Together, they will generate tens of thousands of jobs, attract billions in foreign investment, and deliver sustained contributions to the Georgian economy,” he adds—reflecting expectations that other investors will follow suit.
Logistics is also in focus. Abu Dhabi Ports Group is investing in the Tbilisi Intermodal Hub, part of efforts to leverage Georgia’s strategic location amid shifting trade dynamics. “With our investments in Tbilisi and elsewhere along the Middle Corridor, we are strengthening global supply chains,” says Managing Director and Group CEO Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi. The World Bank forecasts the volume of goods along this route to triple by 2030, underscoring its importance.
In energy, meanwhile, Masdar has partnered with the Georgian Energy Development Fund to expand renewable capacity—supporting energy transition and highlighting the nation’s vast potential in the sector. Taken together, these investments represent a significant vote of long-term confidence in Georgia’s economic momentum.
