Minister Solomon concludes successful visit to the Gulf to strengthen trade ties with the UAE and Qatar

OTTAWA, ON, Oct. 15, 2025 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, concluded successful visits to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar, delivering on new partnerships and strengthened trade ties with the two countries.

In Abu Dhabi, Minister Solomon met with H.E. Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi, the UAE's Minister of Investment and Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of ADQ, with whom he signed an agreement to strengthen collaboration between the two countries in the areas of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.

The memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the UAE offers a framework to facilitate and drive investments by the two countries in shared priorities, including in digital infrastructure and AI adoption. The MOU also covers the sharing of technical expertise, support for investment in advanced technology, and collaboration on the development and deployment of safe and responsible AI.

During his visit, Minister Solomon held meetings with H.E. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, and with his counterpart H.E Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, to identify and advance partnership opportunities between the two countries. He also met H.E. Ahmed Tamim Hisham Al Kuttab, Chairman of the Department of Government Enablement in Abu Dhabi, and H.E. Mohamed Bin Taliah, Chief of Government Services for the UAE.

In Dubai, Minister Solomon attended GITEX, the largest AI and technology conference in the world, with over 200,000 attendees from 180 countries. He participated in a fireside chat, held on the main stage of the conference, on the impacts of AI on global economies, alongside Amandeep Singh Gill, the Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies for the United Nations.

Minister Solomon joined OpenText's leadership in the announcement of an MOU with Core42, which will strengthen the two companies' collaboration in digital innovation and cloud technologies. The Minister also met with Hatem Dowidar, CEO of e&, a world-leading Emirati telecommunications company, and with H.E. Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, CEO of the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority.

The Minister also joined executives from Canadian and Emirati companies for a roundtable hosted by the Canada-UAE Business Council.

In Doha, Minister Solomon met with H.E. Mohammed bin Ali bin Mohammed Al Mannai, Qatar's Minister of Communications and Information Technology, to discuss areas of common interest in artificial intelligence and digital innovation. The ministers issued a joint statement highlighting potential avenues for collaboration between the two countries.

Minister Solomon also met with H.E. Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani and members of the Qatari Businessmen Association to explore partnerships, investment opportunities and technology collaborations, particularly in the areas of digital innovation and infrastructure.

In addition, the Minister sat down with executives from Mannai ICT to discuss business opportunities for Canadian companies working in the digital space. He later met with representatives from the Qatar Investment Authority to discuss further opportunities for cooperation.

Finally, Minister Solomon visited Education City, where he took part in a roundtable with leading Qatari experts in education, research and innovation from the Qatar Foundation.

Quote

"Canada's approach to artificial intelligence is built on a simple idea: AI for all. Our goal is to ensure that this technology reflects our values, protects our values and projects our values to the world. Through strong international partnerships, we're shaping a digital future that serves people, strengthens economies and builds trust across borders."
– The Honourable Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario

Associated links

• GITEX GLOBAL 2025
• Canada – Qatar Joint Statement
• Canada's artificial intelligence ecosystem
• Canadian AI Safety Institute

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Contacts: Sofia Ouslis, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, [email protected]; Media Relations, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, [email protected]