UAE–Pakistan: A Partnership Built on People, Capital, and Permanence

The UAE–Pakistan relationship extends far beyond formal diplomacy, rooted in decades of people-to-people ties, long-term investment, and economic integration. During his visit to Islamabad, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, reinforcing a partnership shaped by shared growth rather than short-term interests. From a large Pakistani community embedded in the UAE’s workforce to sustained trade, remittances, and infrastructure investment, the relationship reflects a model of economic permanence that continues to deepen as both countries look toward long-term stability and resilience.

• This partnership is not transactional.
• It is structural.
• And it is built to last.

A Bond Forged by People, Not Just Policy

Since the 1970s, Pakistanis have played a central role in the UAE’s growth story. What began as labour migration evolved into generational integration. Today, an estimated 1.7 to 1.9 million Pakistanis live and work in the UAE — one of the largest and most deeply embedded expatriate communities in the country.

They are present across every layer of the economy:
from ports, infrastructure and manufacturing to healthcare, retail, engineering, IT, banking and energy. This is not a transient workforce. It is a population that has grown alongside the UAE, contributing skills, stability and continuity.

Remittances: Pakistan’s Quiet Economic Backbone

That human connection translates directly into economic resilience.
In FY25, Pakistan’s total remittances reached $38.3 billion, with the UAE consistently ranking among the top contributors. Monthly inflows from the UAE alone have crossed $700 million, providing a critical anchor for Pakistan’s foreign exchange position.

These flows are not abstract numbers. They finance imports, stabilize the currency, support household consumption and act as a shock absorber during economic stress.

Trade That Is Structural, Not Seasonal

Bilateral trade between the two countries stood at $10.9 billion in FY 2023–24, making the UAE Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner, after China and the United States.

The trade mix reflects strategic depth rather than opportunism:
energy and refined petroleum, machinery, chemicals, metals, construction inputs, food products and value-added goods. These are foundational sectors — not fleeting trends.

Capital With a Long Memory

Perhaps the most defining feature of the relationship is the nature of UAE-linked investment in Pakistan. The focus is not short-term yield but long-duration assets:

• Energy and power projects with 25–40 year horizons

• Ports and logistics infrastructure lasting up to 50 years

• Banking and financial systems built for permanence

• Industrial zones and special economic areas have been designed for decades

• Food security supply chains with structural importance

This is capital that compounds quietly over time — creating employment, stabilizing foreign exchange flows and building crisis resilience.

Why Pakistan Matters to the UAE

For the UAE, Pakistan is strategically irreplaceable.
A population of nearly 240 million, one of the largest labour reservoirs for Gulf economies, a geographic bridge linking the Middle East with Central and South Asia, and a partner in deep security and intelligence cooperation.

Pakistan also represents sustained long-term demand — for energy, logistics, food security and industrial capacity — aligning perfectly with the UAE’s forward-looking economic strategy.

Looking Ahead: Compounding, Not Announcements

Assuming steady trade growth and stable remittances, projections suggest that by 2030, bilateral trade could move into the mid-teens (billions of dollars), while infrastructure exposure continues to compound across decades.

This is how real influence is built:
energy drives productivity,
logistics boosts competitiveness,
and foreign exchange stability creates policy space.

The Strategic Bottom Line

The UAE–Pakistan relationship is not built on headlines or press statements.
It is embedded through people, work, capital and time.

In a world shifting away from globalization toward resilience and aligned capital, this partnership stands out as one of the most structurally integrated bilateral relationships in the developing world.

Not influenced by noise —
but influence through economic permanence.