Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani receives Ahmed al-Shehhi, the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) new Consul General to Erbil, on November 24, 2025. Photo: Kurdistan Region Presidency
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Monday received Ahmed al-Shehhi, the incoming Consul General of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Erbil, to discuss opportunities for Emirati business and investment in the Region.
In a statement, the Kurdistan Region Presidency said President Barzani congratulated Shehhi on assuming office, expressing Erbil’s “full support for the success of his mission.”
The two officials “praised the depth of ties” between Erbil and Abu Dhabi and reaffirmed their “mutual desire to enhance all areas of joint cooperation.” The meeting also included discussions on expanding opportunities for Emirati investment and commercial activity in the Kurdistan Region.
The early-November legislative elections in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region and the broader political situation were also on the agenda.
The UAE opened its Consulate General in Erbil in 2012 and remains the largest source of Gulf-state foreign investment in the Region.
According to official figures released in September, total direct Emirati investment in the Kurdistan Region now exceeds $3.3 billion.
Earlier data from the Kurdistan Investment Board (BOI) - an affiliate of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) - reported in April that Emirati investments had surpassed $2 billion, with more than 200 UAE companies currently operating across the Region and contributing to significant trade volume.
A large share of goods imported into the Kurdistan Region also flows through UAE ports.
The UAE-based Dana Gas has played a key role in developing the Region’s natural gas sector for years, while other major Emirati ventures include the nearly $3 billion Downtown Erbil development launched by development giant Emaar Properties in 2013.
More recently, the KRG announced the export of around 6,000 tons of locally grown potatoes to the UAE as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen agricultural cooperation.
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