Timor-Leste and the United Arab Emirates Strengthen Bilateral Cooperation
On October 1st, 2026, in Abu Dhabi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Bendito dos Santos Freitas, met with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of State, Noura bint Mohamed Al Kaabi, to discuss the development of bilateral cooperation and to follow up on the understandings reached during the UAE official’s visit to Timor-Leste from August 31st to September 1st of this year.
The meeting, held at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, addressed the development of projects and initiatives in areas of mutual interest and ways to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.
The sectors discussed included trade and investment, infrastructure, health, human resources development, diplomatic training, and labour mobility. The two sides also reviewed cooperation in digitising public administration, strengthening people-to-people relations, and water security.
In this area, the delegation discussed ways to expand cooperation in the context of the United Nations Water Conference, to be held in Abu Dhabi from December 8th to 10th, 2026 and co-hosted by the United Arab Emirates and Senegal.
Bendito dos Santos Freitas and Noura Al Kaabi also addressed processes related to agreements on double taxation avoidance and investment protection, as well as UAE support for Timor-Leste’s preparations to assume the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2029. The two leaders also exchanged views on regional developments in the Middle East and the Pacific.
The meeting built on the dialogue held in Dili at the end of August during Noura Al Kaabi’s first official visit to Timor-Leste. On that occasion, both countries identified areas for strengthening cooperation, including trade and investment, health, human resources development, institutional capacity building, and digital transformation. The UAE also said it is ready to provide technical support and share its experience to support Timor-Leste’s preparations for its ASEAN Chairmanship in 2029.
Bendito dos Santos Freitas’s visit to Abu Dhabi followed his participation in the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York and included other diplomatic engagements.
On October 1st, the Minister met with Ambassadors from ASEAN Member States accredited to the UAE, briefing them on Timor-Leste's integration process with the organisation and its preparations for the 2029 ASEAN Chairmanship.
The following day, he held meetings with Ambassadors from Member States of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP) and with diplomatic representatives from Pacific island nations. The meetings focused, respectively, on cooperation and alignment within the CPLP and on shared challenges facing small island states and on cooperation in multilateral forums.
The itinerary also included a visit to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque on October 3rd and a visit to the Embassy of Timor-Leste in the United Arab Emirates on October 5th, where the Minister observed the mission’s operations and met with Ambassador Rui Hanjam and Timorese diplomats.
The Ambassador of Timor-Leste to the United Arab Emirates, Rui Hanjam, accompanied the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation during his key engagements in Abu Dhabi.
