Chancellor Friedrich Merz of the CDU met with the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayid, at the Chancellery on Thursday afternoon. According to the federal government’s press and information office, the primary topics of discussion centered on expanding the strategic partnership, deepening bilateral economic ties, and jointly committing to regional stability in the Middle East.
Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayid is in Berlin on a state visit, hosted by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Earlier that afternoon, he had also met with CDU President of the Bundestag, Julia Klöckner.
The meeting comes against a backdrop of international human rights concerns. Human Rights Watch had previously urged the Chancellor to openly address the role of the UAE in Sudan. The organization accuses the United Arab Emirates of supporting the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), one of the conflict parties in the war for control of Sudan that began in April 2023. Human Rights Watch referenced a United Nations report stating that the RSF is responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other serious abuses that UN investigators assess “meet the characteristics of genocide.”
Furthermore, Human Rights Watch has long documented comprehensive repression of critical voices within the UAE. The report highlights widespread restrictions on freedom of expression, assembly, and association, as well as severe mistreatment of migrants, even amid the regional conflict with Iran. According to the organization, Emirati authorities prosecute dissidents, activists, and government critics, often leading to long-term imprisonment.
