The UAE sent a high-level delegation to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda, marking its first participation as a special guest at the biennial gathering.Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, and Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of State, led diplomatic engagements during the 28th meeting, held in St John’s from 1 to 4 November. The delegation also included Omar Shehadeh, Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs to the Caribbean and Pacific States, and other senior officials.
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the ministers met senior officials and representatives from Commonwealth countries across the Caribbean, Pacific, Asia and the Americas. Discussions covered trade, investment, sustainable development, climate resilience and regional and international developments.
The participation placed the UAE alongside representatives of the Commonwealth’s 56 member countries at a summit focused on expanding economic partnerships and mobilising investment. The UAE is not a Commonwealth member, and its attendance was in the capacity of an invited special guest rather than a participating member government.
Al Hashimy described the meeting as an opportunity to strengthen engagement with Commonwealth countries. She said the discussions demonstrated a shared determination to develop partnerships that address common priorities, produce practical results and create opportunities for economic growth.
Al Kaabi emphasised the importance of sustained dialogue with countries in the Caribbean and Pacific, particularly small island developing states confronting climate and economic pressures. She identified knowledge sharing, cooperation and resilience as priorities for relationships that the UAE wants to develop further.
“As we navigate increasingly complex global challenges, particularly those affecting vulnerable regions and small island developing states (SIDS), our shared commitment to resilience, sustainable development, and prosperity becomes ever more important,” Al Kaabi said.
She also called for the exchange of expertise and practical solutions responsive to the needs of communities. The ministry did not announce specific bilateral agreements, financial commitments or investment projects arising from the UAE delegation’s meetings.
The summit, hosted by Antigua and Barbuda under the theme “Accelerating Partnerships and Investment for a Prosperous Commonwealth”, brought together heads of government, ministers, business representatives and civil society organisations. Prime Minister Gaston Browne chaired the gathering, which addressed trade, investment, climate resilience, innovation and sustainable development.
The Commonwealth Secretariat said more than 3,000 delegates attended the event. It announced that approximately US$500 million in new commitments had been raised for initiatives covering renewable energy, skills development for young people and opportunities for trade and growth. Those commitments were associated with the wider summit, not specifically with the UAE delegation.
The leaders’ communiqué, issued after the meeting, reaffirmed commitments to cooperation amid economic uncertainty, international conflicts and the climate emergency. It highlighted the particular challenges faced by small states, whose exposure to environmental disasters and external economic shocks has become a central concern in Commonwealth discussions. The document also addressed the importance of international cooperation on development finance, economic resilience and environmental protection, areas where participating governments have sought greater access to funding and stronger institutional support for smaller economies.
For the UAE delegation, those concerns overlapped with the subjects raised in bilateral exchanges. Climate resilience and sustainable development are particularly significant for island economies, where infrastructure, financing and adaptation requirements frequently intersect with trade and investment policy.
The Commonwealth meeting also included ministerial discussions and forums involving business, young people, women and civil society. A ministerial meeting on small states took place on 2 November, followed by a foreign affairs ministers’ meeting on 3 November, before the leaders completed their deliberations.
The summit’s official programme reflected efforts by member governments to connect diplomatic discussions with economic opportunities and development financing. The Commonwealth Secretariat described the investment commitments as supporting initiatives across several sectors, although the UAE ministry provided no breakdown of projects discussed during its separate engagements.
Al Hashimy and Al Kaabi also conveyed congratulations from the UAE to the government and people of Antigua and Barbuda on the country’s Independence Day, which falls on 1 November. Their message coincided with the opening day of the four-day meeting in the Caribbean nation’s capital.
The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting is held every two years, with the host country rotating among members. The 2026 gathering followed the 2024 summit in Samoa and brought together delegations from countries with differing economic circumstances and development priorities worldwide.
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