The forum brings together a distinguished group of senior officials, diplomats, academics, researchers, experts, and business leaders from both countries.
TRENDS Global, through its virtual office in Japan, in cooperation with the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Tokyo, will organize the DAS Dialogue: UAE–Japan Strategic Forum tomorrow, November 2, 2026, at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo. The forum will bring together a distinguished group of senior officials, diplomats, academics, researchers, experts, and business leaders from both countries.
The forum aims to explore new horizons for the UAE–Japan partnership and build on the historical ties that began with Das Island in Abu Dhabi, from where the first shipment of UAE crude oil was exported to Japan in 1962. This marked the beginning of a strategic partnership spanning more than six decades, which has since expanded beyond the energy sector to encompass trade, investment, advanced technology, artificial intelligence, clean energy, and other vital fields.
Through three main sessions, the forum will examine foreign policy and strategic cooperation between the two countries amid a changing international order, as well as prospects for economic, trade, and investment partnerships under the UAE-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), extending cooperation beyond its traditional energy foundations. Discussions will also address strengthening cooperation in water security and global resilience, in the context of preparations for the 2026 United Nations Water Conference, which will be hosted in Abu Dhabi from December 8-10, 2026, and co-hosted by the UAE and Senegal.
The discussions will further explore opportunities for joint coordination in addressing regional and international challenges, energy security and trade routes, and expanding cooperation in artificial intelligence, the digital economy, and renewable energy. They will also discuss exchanging expertise and technologies in water resource management, desalination, and water reuse.
The opening session will feature welcome remarks by H.E. Shihab Al Faheem, UAE Ambassador to Japan, and Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al Ali, Chairman of TRENDS Group, alongside a video message from Mr. Tsuji Akihiro, Deputy Assistant Minister and Deputy Director-General of the Middle Eastern and African Affairs Bureau at Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The forum will conclude with a session titled From Dialogue to Action, which will seek to formulate practical recommendations, identify priorities for political, research, and institutional cooperation, and explore joint research projects and initiatives. These efforts aim to maximize the benefits of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement and support the establishment of a sustainable strategic dialogue platform, with future editions held regularly and alternating between the UAE and Japan.
