PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. flies today, Jan. 12, to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, for a four-day working visit. It is his first overseas trip for 2026. Marcos was invited by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to participate in the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, along with other heads of state. Marcos will also discuss with government, business, and civic leaders ways to advance global sustainability in the areas of energy, water, financial matters, food and the environment, among others. He will witness the signing of two key agreements between the Philippines and the UAE — the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Defense Cooperation. The CEPA is the Philippines’ first free trade agreement with a country from the Middle East that aims to expand market access in the region. It covers trade in goods and services, investments, small and medium enterprises, digitalization, customs cooperation, governance and sustainability. Special Envoy for Trade and Investment to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ma. Anna Kathryna Yu-Pimentel said the CEPA “is a historic step for Philippine trade and investment in the Middle East.” The defense cooperation MOU is expected to strengthen the collaboration between the Philippines and Abu Dhabi in developing defense technologies and capabilities. The last time Marcos visited the UAE was in November 2024, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties. He sat down with Al Nahyan to take up agreements on energy transition, the digital economy, artificial intelligence, and legal cooperation. Joining the president are Foreign Affairs Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro, Trade and Industry Secretary Ma. Cristina Aldeguer-Roque, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac, Finance acting Secretary Frederick Go, Presidential Communications Office Acting Secretary Dave Gomez, and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Administrator Patricia Yvonne Cunanan. UAE Ambassador to the Philippines Mohamed Alqataam Alzaabi reaffirmed his country’s commitment to safeguarding the welfare of more than 1 million Filipinos living and working in the UAE. Yu-Pimentel said negotiations for the CEPA gained momentum following meetings during the World Government Summit in Dubai in 2025, including discussions involving first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and UAE officials. The Philippines and the UAE have since signed around 22 agreements covering culture, energy transition, legal cooperation, government modernization and security. Bilateral non-oil trade reached $1.08 billion in 2023, with the UAE as the Philippines’ top export market in the Gulf. UAE investments in the Philippines totaled more than $129 million from 2019 to 2023. Yu-Pimentel was appointed special envoy for trade and investment to the UAE in June 2024.