The year 2025 marked a transformative period in Cyprus-Gulf Cooperation Council economic relations, characterized by groundbreaking institutional frameworks and strategic cross-sector collaborations. Spearheading this diplomatic-economic offensive, the Cyprus Trade Centre in Dubai (CTC) executed an ambitious agenda that fundamentally reshaped bilateral engagement between Cyprus and Gulf nations.
Central to this evolution was the formal establishment of the Cyprus Business Council in Dubai under the auspices of Dubai Chambers. This private-sector-driven platform, comprising 30 founding members from both Cypriot and UAE-based enterprises, emerged as the cornerstone for structured economic dialogue. The Council’s inauguration at Dubai Silicon Oasis featured high-level executive participation, symbolizing the institutionalization of long-standing bilateral ties.
Throughout 2025, Cyprus demonstrated its export capabilities and technological prowess through strategic participations in premier regional exhibitions. The National Pavilion at GulfFood 2025 featured twenty-five Cypriot companies establishing crucial market connections across Middle Eastern, Asian, and African markets. Technology took center stage at GITEX Global 2025, where fourteen Cypriot firms showcased cutting-edge solutions in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and regulatory technology.
The World Utilities Congress in Abu Dhabi witnessed Cyprus’s inaugural national pavilion focusing on energy and water security, featuring participation from the Electricity Authority of Cyprus and the Cyprus Solar Energy Industrial Association. This presence generated significant leads for strengthening energy sector cooperation with GCC nations.
Beyond the UAE, the CTC expanded engagement across the Gulf region through strategic missions to Qatar, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia. These efforts included registration on Qatar Chamber’s digital platform, substantive discussions with Lulu Bahrain regarding Cypriot product exports, and exploration of cooperation opportunities in technology, innovation, and energy with Saudi counterparts.
The diplomatic crescendo occurred in December 2025 with the first-ever UAE presidential visit to Cyprus, culminating in the signing of a landmark memorandum of understanding establishing the Joint Cyprus-UAE Business & Investment Council. This agreement, signed between the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Invest Cyprus, and the Federation of UAE Chambers of Commerce & Industry, created an institutional framework for deepening trade, investment, and business partnerships across multiple sectors.
A significant humanitarian and strategic achievement emerged through the UAE’s donation of fourteen mobile desalination units with daily production capacity of 15,000 cubic meters, addressing Cyprus’s water scarcity challenges while demonstrating deepening bilateral cooperation.
The CTC’s Export Helpdesk registered unprecedented demand, processing 34% of all global requests from Cypriot companies seeking market entry support in the GCC region. This statistic underscores both the strategic importance of the UAE as a regional business hub and the confidence Cypriot enterprises place in the CTC’s facilitation capabilities.
Concurrently, the CTC maintained active participation in multilateral initiatives including the International Renewable Energy Agency (where Cyprus served as Vice-Chair) and the EU-GCC Cooperation on Green Transition platform, leveraging Cyprus’s unique geostrategic position bridging European and Gulf markets.