Germany and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) plan to expand relations, both sides signalled on Wednesday, a day before Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is due in Berlin for what will be the first-ever state visit by a UAE president to Germany.
"The UAE-German strategic partnership is evolving from shared intentions to joint action," said Lana Nusseibeh, envoy of the Emirati Foreign Ministry, in Berlin.
Mohamed will be received by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier with military honours when he touches down for the two-day visit on Thursday, before holding talks with Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Anwar Gargash, an adviser to the Emirati president, told dpa that discussions would particularly focus on cooperation to boost drone defence capabilities.
The UAE has been particularly hard-hit by the war in Iran, with Gargash saying that Tehran launched 3,000 missiles and drones at the Gulf country in response to US-Israeli attacks.
Germany is also seeking to improve its anti-drone defences amid a growing threat from Russia.
Nusseibeh said agreements worth billions of dollars would be struck in Berlin to herald a new chapter in relations between Germany and the UAE, aiming to combine "German industrial and engineering expertise with the investment opportunities offered by the United Arab Emirates, its digital infrastructure, global connectivity and its focus on the use of artificial intelligence."
Sources in the German Chancellery said that there were plans to found a German-Emirati investment council.
Both sides also plan to deepen cooperation on defence and armament, they said.