Abu Dhabi Crown Prince in Athens: €12.75 Billion in Greece–UAE Deals Signed and a Further €15 Billion Planned

A visit timed with Investopia Mediterranean

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan began his official visit to Greece on 21 October at the invitation of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. He was welcomed at Athens airport by Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis and is accompanied by a business delegation of roughly 60 representatives.

On Thursday the two leaders held talks at Maximos Mansion, the official seat of the Greek Prime Minister, with ministers and senior officials attending. They then attended the UAE–Greece Strategic Forum in Athens, where the agreements were announced in their presence. The forum was held alongside Investopia Mediterranean, the second edition of the Investopia Global series in the region after its debut in Cyprus.

Prime Minister Mitsotakis told the Crown Prince that, despite regional turmoil, now is the right moment to strengthen strategic cooperation that has already delivered results, and described the two countries as potential “pillars of stability.” Sheikh Khaled noted that the two countries are marking 50 years of diplomatic relations.

What was signed: €12.75 billion across 18 agreements

The UAE and Greece announced 18 memoranda of understanding, agreements and commercial partnerships on Thursday, with a combined value above €12.75 billion ($14.30 billion), at the UAE–Greece Strategic Forum, which Sheikh Khaled and Prime Minister Mitsotakis attended. The agreements cover digital infrastructure, advanced technology, artificial intelligence, renewable and clean-energy infrastructure, industry, logistics, transport and ports, healthcare, life sciences and food security.

Abu Dhabi also announced its intention to invest a further €15 billion through a joint investment initiative with Greece. The Abu Dhabi Media Office said the new funds add to the €4 billion committed in 2022 and did not disclose specific investments.

The counts and values should be read with care. Reuters and WAM cite 18 agreements, a quote from UAE Foreign Trade Minister Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi refers to 17, and Greek coverage speaks of 15 memoranda, some of them still described as planned. The €12.75 billion is an aggregate announced by the Emirati side, and the reports reviewed do not itemise the value of individual deals.

ProtoThema reports that the event was the 4th Greece–UAE Strategic Business Forum and drew more than 100 Greek and 60 Emirati companies. Deputy Foreign Minister Haris Theoharis told the closing session that a strategic partnership is measured by lasting results, and Al Zeyoudi said the priority is to turn the momentum into productive projects.

Investopia Mediterranean – Athens opens with about 500 participants

Investopia Mediterranean – Athens kicked off in the Greek capital on 22 October. According to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), the event brought together approximately 500 senior government officials, business leaders, investors and representatives of financial institutions from the UAE and Greece, including five Greek government ministers. Its stated aim is to advance the economic partnership between the two countries by exploring new investment opportunities, strengthening cooperation between UAE and Greek companies across new economy sectors, and opening avenues for growth across the Mediterranean and its wider markets.

The focus is on turning the growing momentum in UAE–Greece relations into practical cooperation between companies and investors, including project development and financing, expansion into new markets, and connecting capital with operational expertise and technology. Energy, artificial intelligence, financial services and private markets featured prominently in the discussions. The programme combines strategic dialogue, roundtables, bilateral meetings and direct engagement between participants, with 10 main sessions and three roundtables. It opened with a session titled “Connecting Markets in a Time of Global Change,” which looked at economic cooperation between Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia and at new pathways for capital and trade flows.

The UAE side included Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi, Minister of Investment and Co-Chair of Investopia; Mohammad Abdulrahman Alhawi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Investment and President of Investopia; and Hasan Jasem Al Nowais, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology. The Greek delegation included Kostis Hatzidakis, Vice President of the Government; Kyriakos Pierrakakis, Minister of Economy and Finance; Stavros Papastavrou, Minister of Environment and Energy; Harry Theoharis, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs; and Olga Kefalogianni, Minister of Tourism. Participating institutions and companies included ADNOC, G42, First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), Bank of America, Hellenic Growth Fund, the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), Athens International Airport, Eurobank and Enterprise Greece.

Alsuwaidi said the partnership between the two countries “is built on longstanding relations and mutual trust,” and that bringing government leaders, investors and businesses together in Athens is an opportunity to identify practical areas for cooperation and expand them across the Mediterranean and its connected markets. Alhawi said the aim is for participants “to leave Athens with clearly identified opportunities, potential partners and clear next steps.”

The second session, “Bridging Continents: Greece and the UAE as Gateways for Global Investment,” looked at using the two countries’ strategic locations, advanced infrastructure and competitive advantages to advance capital flows, trade and innovation, with potential partnerships across finance, logistics, energy, tourism and technology. A tourism session, “Rebuilding Confidence in Travel and Developing New Tourism Corridors,” examined traveller confidence, connectivity between Mediterranean and Middle Eastern destinations, and new tourism corridors.

Energy had two slots. A fireside chat with Stavros Papastavrou addressed UAE–Greece partnerships in renewable and clean energy and the circular economy, and a session titled “The Next Wave of Global Energy Investment” covered energy infrastructure, innovation, supply security and lower carbon emissions, in light of current regional developments and their impact on energy security. The panels closed with “Mobilising Capital: Financing the Next Wave of Global Investment,” on the role of banks and financial institutions in directing financing towards infrastructure, energy, technology and healthcare.

Three roundtables followed: “Investing in the Age of AI,” on how AI is reshaping sectors and productivity and how to accelerate adoption; “FinTech and Digital Assets: The Future of Financial Innovation,” on capital formation, payments and financial inclusion; and “Private Markets: Unlocking Capital for the Next Growth Cycle,” on private capital for innovation and infrastructure and cross-border opportunities between the UAE and Greek investment fund ecosystems.

Growing business and tourism ties

WAM also published figures on the bilateral relationship. The number of Greek companies operating in the UAE rose from 1,244 at the end of September 2025 to 1,483 at the end of September 2026, an increase of 239 companies, or 19.2 per cent. Greek tourist arrivals in the UAE rose from 65,078 in 2024 to 72,482 in 2025, up 11.4 per cent, and the two countries are linked by 26 weekly flights.

The Athens edition builds on the Investopia Mediterranean series launched in Cyprus in June 2025. Investopia meetings continue in London in December 2026, then Abu Dhabi in March and Milan in April 2027, and the organisation plans to expand its presence in India, China and Africa in 2027.

Mubadala, HDBI and Growthfund: a wider co-investment framework

At the centre of the financial agenda is a planned three-year renewal of the memorandum between Abu Dhabi's Mubadala and HDBI, intended to continue and expand their joint investment initiatives. The partnership has already opened channels for Emirati capital into Greece through vehicles including VentureFriends, EuSIF and Diorama, covering everything from startup financing to the expansion of larger companies.

On 22 October, Growthfund, HDBI and Mubadala signed a memorandum of understanding to explore co-investment opportunities in Greece. Growthfund joins the cooperation framework established in 2022 between HDBI and Mubadala, which is meant to facilitate Mubadala’s participation in opportunities involving companies in HDBI’s portfolio and the funds it invests in, companies or projects linked to Growthfund’s portfolio, and other co-investment opportunities the two Greek institutions consider. The signatories were Yannis Papachristou, CEO of Growthfund; Meera Al Suwaidi, Executive Director of Sovereign Partnerships at Mubadala; and Antigoni Lymperopoulou and Haris Lampropoulos, CEO and Chairman of HDBI. Deputy Minister of National Economy and Finance Nikos Papathanasis attended.

Mubadala executives have been in Athens since Tuesday meeting Greek fund managers, and the two sides are also exploring wider co-investment and business financing schemes involving institutions from both countries. The aim is to create additional funding sources for Greek companies and support their expansion abroad.

Growthfund’s expanded role, flagged in pre-visit reporting, took concrete form in that MoU as part of its push to build international investment relationships. The talks build on the €4 billion UAE–Greece joint investment initiative, which leaders reviewed during the visit. The acquisitions of TERNA Energy (by Masdar) and Hellenic Healthcare Group (by Pure Health) in 2025 were parts of this initiative.

A Greek–Emirati construction push into third markets

One of the most notable initiatives among the agreements is a joint venture, or consortium, between Greek and Emirati construction companies to pursue major projects across the Middle East and North Africa. Economic diplomacy sources put the combined potential at up to $10 billion, a pipeline of prospective projects rather than awarded contracts. ProtoThema’s 23 October report describes National Projects & Construction LLC, a subsidiary of the UAE’s Trojan group, as pursuing the establishment of a joint venture with Archirodon to bid jointly, so the venture is still an intention rather than a formed company.

The Emirati delegation includes National Projects & Construction, part of the Trojan Group. On the Greek side, Archirodon, a long-established group with a substantial record in Middle Eastern construction markets, is the partner named in the discussions. For Greek contractors, the model combines their technical experience in large infrastructure with the regional presence of Emirati partners, and it moves bilateral cooperation beyond investment inside Greece toward joint business in third countries.

Energy, artificial intelligence and data centres

Energy remains a core pillar, increasingly tied to digital infrastructure. Executives from Masdar and ADNOC are in Athens alongside Greek groups such as TERNA Energy and the Copelouzos Group. Potential cooperation ranges from energy infrastructure and lower-carbon technologies to supplying electricity for new data facilities, as AI-driven demand for power grows.

A significant share of the memoranda concerns AI infrastructure, environmentally sustainable data centres, and applications in public administration and education. Others cover data analytics, digital services and communications technology. The delegation reflects that focus: MGX, the investment company established with the involvement of Mubadala and G42, is attending alongside G42, Presight (large-scale data analytics) and Core42 (cloud and AI infrastructure), as well as groups such as DAMAC.

The signing round added detail. A partnership involving Core42, Khazna Data Centers and the Copelouzos Group would develop AI infrastructure in Greece with an initial power capacity of 24 megawatts, expandable to 80 MW. Khazna is also pursuing cooperation with Masdar Greece – TERNA ENERGY on green data centres, tying digital capacity to clean power. Minister of Digital Governance Dimitris Papastergiou signed agreements with Presight and Inception42 on digital technologies and AI applications.

Other sectors named in reporting include food exports, medical research and defence technology. The visit follows a government-level memorandum on cooperation in artificial intelligence and technology, exchanged when Prime Minister Mitsotakis last visited the UAE in May 2026.

Food, healthcare and defence: smaller deals with named partners

Beyond energy and AI, ProtoThema lists a series of company-level agreements and talks. In agri-food, Lulu Group International is pursuing imports from Greek producers Oscar Chocolates and TOTTIS BINGO, while Elite Agro is advancing cooperation with RIVULIS on irrigation systems and in discussions with NOVATEC on fruit and vegetable sorting equipment. In healthcare, UAE-based M42 is pursuing work with Athens LifeTech Park on genomics, clinical research and precision medicine, and Serdal Holding is planned to sign a memorandum with the pharmaceutical company ELPEN. Serdal is also seeking cooperation with the Greek defence manufacturer ELMON, and Enterprise Greece and the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry are planning an MoU to promote Greek exports and attract investment.

What to watch next: from MoUs to projects

For Athens, the immediate goal is to convert a strong political relationship into concrete partnerships and new openings for Greek companies in the Gulf. For Abu Dhabi, Greece offers an investment destination and a European partner across renewable energy, construction, AI and healthcare.

Several points remain open. The reports reviewed do not itemise the value of individual agreements or explain how the additional €15 billion will be deployed, several items are described as planned memoranda or talks rather than concluded contracts, and the Trojan–Archirodon venture is still being pursued rather than formed. Investopia’s programme continues in London in December 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How much were the Greece–UAE agreements worth?

Greece and the UAE announced 18 memoranda of understanding, agreements and commercial partnerships with a combined value above €12.75 billion at the UAE–Greece Strategic Forum on 22 October 2026.

How much more will Abu Dhabi invest in Greece?

Abu Dhabi said it intends to invest a further €15 billion through the joint investment initiative, on top of the €4 billion committed in 2022. No specific investments were disclosed.

Is the $10 billion construction figure a signed contract?

No. It is the potential combined value of Middle East and North Africa projects that a planned Greek–Emirati joint venture, involving Archirodon and Trojan’s National Projects & Construction, may bid for.

What did Mubadala, HDBI and Growthfund sign?

A memorandum of understanding to explore co-investment opportunities in Greece. Growthfund joins the framework HDBI and Mubadala set up in 2022.

Why did the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince visit Athens?

Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan made an official visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Mitsotakis, marking 50 years of diplomatic relations, and the visit coincided with Investopia Mediterranean – Athens.

Sources

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