Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates Economic Diplomacy: Trajectory and Trends

This article examines the trajectory and trends of economic diplomacy between Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from 2014 to 2023. The study employed concurrent mixed research approach, relying on both qualitative and quantitative data. The findings revealed that Introduction Ethiopia’s economic diplomacy with the UAE transformed from closed treaty-based to flexible strategic partnership. The study also highlights that there is a steady growth in trade relations between the UAE and Ethiopia though the latter experienced negative trade balance. Although the investment is one sided only from the UAE, it is rapidly growing with annualized growth rate of 29.7% Moreover, Ethiopia is the leading recipient of the UAE aid in the Horn of Africa followed by Sudan and Somalia. Using the theory of state craft, the study concludes that the UAE uses trade incentives, investment and aid as tools of foreign policy influence while Ethiopia leverages the partnership for economic resilience and strategic autonomy