Italy Strengthens UAE Ties at WETEX 2025 as Renewable Energy Exports Top 130 Million Euros and Trade Reaches 14 Billion Dollars

Italy Deepens UAE Partnership at WETEX 2025 as Renewable Energy Exports Surpass €130 Million and Bilateral Trade Hits $14.1 Billion As global focus sharpens on clean energy and sustainable development, Italy is strengthening its longstanding partnership with the United Arab Emirates through continued participation in the prestigious WETEX 2025 exhibition. Marking its 12th consecutive year at the event, the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) will host a 600-square-metre Italian Pavilion at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 30 September to 2 October, showcasing 49 Italian companies—up 11% from 2024. Exhibitors will include start-ups and trailblazers focused on renewable energy, water technology, and environmental innovation. This sustained engagement highlights Italy’s pivotal role in the Middle East’s clean energy transformation, underscoring its strategic commitment to sustainability, technology, and bilateral trade. Italy’s thriving export of renewable technologies to the UAE reflects this. In the first five months of 2025, Italian companies exported €130.6 million worth of technologies—an increase of 3% over the same period in 2024. Italy is now the fourth-largest supplier of clean energy and water technologies to the UAE, led by high-demand sectors like pumps, compressors, and water purification equipment, which collectively represent over 80% of Italian exports in this domain. The momentum builds upon a record-breaking year in 2024, when Italy’s exports in this sector hit €279.9 million, a remarkable 37% rise from 2023. Italian clean tech solutions then accounted for nearly 12% of the UAE’s total renewable imports, showcasing the increasing trust and preference for “Made in Italy” expertise. Overall trade ties between the two nations have also deepened. In 2024, Italy retained its position as the UAE’s top European Union trading partner, with total non-oil trade climbing to $14.1 billion, up 21% year-on-year. This trade dynamic has been further bolstered by the UAE’s landmark $40 billion investment pledge into Italy announced in February 2025. The funds are targeted towards key sectors such as artificial intelligence, space exploration, renewable energy, rare earth materials, and advanced digital infrastructure. WETEX has emerged as a strategic platform through which Italian companies accelerate entry into the Gulf and wider Middle East markets. Featuring structured B2B and B2G meetings, the exhibition enables enterprises to secure high-value contracts, forge institutional relationships, and demonstrate their technological prowess before regional decision-makers. Mr Lorenzo Fanara, Ambassador of Italy to the United Arab Emirates, commented:“WETEX is a pivotal stage for Italy to showcase its leadership in renewable energy, water management, and sustainability solutions. With 49 Italian companies represented across 600 square metres, our presence underlines Italy’s technological strength in a crucial sector to address the sustainability challenges of the future. By supporting SMEs and driving industrial collaboration, we are proud to contribute to the UAE’s vision of a sustainable, innovation-driven economy.” Mr Valerio Soldani, Italian Trade Commissioner at ITA – Dubai Office, remarked:“The latest data highlights a steady and continuous growth in Italian exports of renewable energy technologies to the United Arab Emirates, with a value exceeding 130 million euros in the first five months of 2025, marking a 3% increase compared to the same period last year. Italy ranks as the fourth-largest supplier in this key sector for the UAE. This significant achievement underscores the competitiveness and innovation of our companies, particularly in the segments of pumps, compressors, and equipment for water purification and management, which account for over 80% of our specialised exports in this sector.” “At the same time, the broader mechanical and industrial technology sector – Italy’s leading export category to the UAE – reached €1.5 billion in 2024, recording a 27% increase year-on-year, and €712.7 million in the first five months of 2025 alone, up 18% compared to the same period in 2024. These results confirm the strategic role of Made in Italy in driving industrial growth, technological innovation, and the clean energy transition, consolidating our partnership with the UAE in a highly dynamic and rapidly growing market.” Mr Soldani added. For Italian companies in solar energy, energy storage, desalination, and environmental services, WETEX 2025 presents more than just business opportunity—it is a launchpad for regional visibility, competitive benchmarking, and long-term collaborations with governments and major enterprises. Team V.DIR-EM-UAE