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The Federation of UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry announced the establishment of the Joint UAE-Lebanon Business Council through a memorandum of understanding signed by its vice chairman during the UAE-Lebanon Business Forum. Abdallah Sultan Al Owais, who also serves as chairman of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, represented the UAE side in the agreement with Mohamed Choucair, chairman of the Federation of the Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Lebanon. The new council will function as an institutional platform for exchanging market intelligence and expertise while promoting trade and investment opportunities and facilitating strategic partnerships and joint ventures, according to the Emirates News Agency.
WAM reported that the council’s launch strengthens direct communication channels between the private sectors of both countries and positions businesses as central drivers of sustainable economic growth. The forum convened senior government officials and business executives to advance bilateral cooperation, pinpoint high-potential sectors and generate fresh partnership prospects between UAE and Lebanese firms. Four additional memoranda of understanding covering diverse economic fields were signed at the gathering, illustrating the accelerating pace of UAE-Lebanon economic relations.
According to Abdul Aziz Al Shamsi, assistant director-general for communication and business sector at the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, robust attendance by UAE business figures signals heightened private-sector appetite for opportunities in the Lebanese economy. “The establishment of the UAE–Lebanon Joint Business Council will provide a structured platform for strengthening engagement between investors and entrepreneurs and promoting available investment opportunities in both countries,” he said. Al Shamsi added that the body is expected to pinpoint high-potential growth sectors and generate a stronger pipeline of business partnerships, investment projects and commercial ventures linking companies from the two markets.
Bilateral non-oil trade between the UAE and Lebanon reached $4.2 billion in 2025, according to economic assessments that accompanied coverage of the forum. The council builds directly on an understanding first reached during Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s visit to the UAE in May 2025, when both governments committed to identifying joint opportunities and expanding exchanges of expertise. Regional economic reports indicate the mechanism will convert renewed diplomatic engagement into tangible commercial outcomes across targeted industries.
The UAE delegation to the Beirut forum featured Waleed AbdelRahman BuKhatir as second vice chairman of the Sharjah Chamber, Mohammad Ahmed Amin Al Awadi as its director-general and Abdul Aziz Al Shamsi in his capacity as assistant director-general. Conversations at the event examined practical steps to ease market access, encourage reciprocal investment flows and capitalise on the complementary strengths of both economies. Coverage in The National noted that UAE investors are pursuing first-mover positions in Lebanese sectors including logistics, banking, agriculture, food security and renewable energy.
The Joint UAE-Lebanon Business Council is designed to organise sector-focused business meetings, address trade and investment obstacles and foster direct contacts among entrepreneurs from both sides. Forum participants described the initiative as a means to expand overall bilateral trade volumes through commercially viable joint projects. Separate reporting from Economy Middle East highlighted that the council will help develop an investment roadmap to unlock concrete opportunities in Lebanon’s reconstruction and development priorities.
