UAE1

General Information

National Identity

Official Language(s)Spanish

National CurrencyEuro (EUR)

National Day(s)12 October (National Day)

Capitals

Political / Administrative CapitalMadrid

Economic CapitalBarcelona

Cultural CapitalBarcelona

Transport & Connectivity

Flight Duration from the UAE≈ 7.5 – 8 h Direct flights

Primary AirportAdolfo Suarez Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD)

Primary PortPort of Algeciras Bay

Geography

Land Area-

Length of the Coastline4,964 km

Highest PointMount Teide, Tenerife (3,715 m)

Primary Inland Water Body / RiverEbro River

ClimateMediterranean on most coasts; oceanic in the north-west; semi-arid inland

Border Countries

PortugalFranceAndorraMorocco (via Ceuta and Melilla)Gibraltar (British Overseas Territory)

5

Last Updated: October 2026Source: Internal Research

Key Facts

La Palma in Spain has laws specifically designed to protect its night sky from light pollution for astronomical research.

Al-Andalus made Cordoba and Granada centres of medieval Islamic civilisation in Europe.

Spain and Portugal are home to the wild Iberian lynx, a species native to the Iberian Peninsula.

Human remains at Atapuerca preserve some of the earliest known evidence of people living in Europe.

Spain is divided into 17 autonomous communities and two autonomous cities, Ceuta and Melilla.

The Camino de Santiago in Spain is one of Europe’s oldest continuous pilgrimage routes.

Spain is among the world’s most visited countries, led by Barcelona, Madrid and the islands.

The Canary Islands in the Atlantic and the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean both form archipelagos belonging to the country.

The Sagrada Familia has been under construction for more than a century, combining historic craftsmanship with modern engineering.

The Mediterranean diet, strongly associated with Spanish food culture, is recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The Alhambra uses sophisticated water engineering to power fountains and irrigate gardens largely through gravity.

High-speed AVE rail links Madrid with Barcelona, Seville and other regional capitals.

Last Updated: October 2026Source: Internal Research

Economic Overview

Macroeconomic Snapshot

GDP, current prices-USD Billions

Real GDP growth-Annual percent change (%)

GDP per capita, current prices-USD per capita

Population-Millions of people

General government gross debt-% of GDP

Income levelWorld Bank classification-

Economic Comparison

Indicator	Spain	UAE
GDP, current pricesUSD Billions	-	-
GDP, PPPCurrent int$	-	-
Real GDP growthAnnual percent change (%)	-	-
GDP per capita, current pricesUSD per capita	-	-
PopulationMillions of people	-	-
Unemployment rate% of total labor force	-	-
Inflation rate (avg. consumer prices)Annual percent change (%)	-	-
General government gross debt% of GDP	-	-
Income levelWorld Bank classification	-	-

Foreign Trade

No data available for this section yet.

Political Overview

Leadership

Head of State

H.M. King Felipe VI

Since June 2014

Head of Government

H.E. Dr. Pedro Sanchez Perez-Castejon

Since June 2018

Minister of Foreign Affairs

H.E. Jose Manuel Albares Bueno

Since July 2021

Minister of Finance

H.E. Arcadi Espana Garcia

Since March 2026

Minister of Economy

H.E. Dr. Carlos Cuerpo Caballero

Since December 2023

Minister of Defense

H.E. Margarita Robles Fernandez

Since June 2018

Political Summary

Political System

Parliamentary constitutional monarchy

Ruling Party

Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE): Centre-left (since January 2020)Leads a left-of-centre coalition government with Sumar.

Main Opposition Force(s)

People’s Party (PP): Centre-right

Next Presidential Election

Not applicable (Hereditary)

Next Legislative Election

July 2027

Last Updated: October 2026Source: Internal Research

Membership in Key Organizations and Blocs

49Organizations

32Member

3Founding Member

4Partner, Observer or Participant

10Not a Member

Last Updated: October 2026Source: Official websites of the respective organizations

Competitiveness Indexes

Index	Year	Rank Out of	Spain	UAE

No index matches.

Diplomatic Relations and Representation

Date of Establishment of Diplomatic Relations11 Oct 197254 years of relations

UAE Ambassador

H.E. Saleh Ahmad Al SuwaidiUAE Ambassador to Spain · Resident

Foreign Ambassador

H.E. Emilio Pin GodosAmbassador of Spain to the UAE · Resident

Last Updated: October 2026Source: MoFA; Internal Research

Flights by UAE Carriers

Passenger Flights

October 2026 figures

44Total Weekly Passenger Flights

EYEtihad Airways20

EKEmirates24

FZflydubai0

G9Air Arabia0

Cargo Flights

October 2026 figures

6Total Weekly Cargo Flights

EYEtihad Cargo0

EKEmirates SkyCargo6

Last Updated: October 2026Source: GCAA

Consular Information

	Tourists	Residents	Students	Golden Visa Holders
Spain Nationalsin the UAE	-	-	-	-
UAE Citizensin Spain	-	-	-	-

Main Agreements and MoUs

Agreement / MOU	Status	Notes
CEPAComprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement	Not Signed	-
IPPAInvestment Protection and Promotion Agreement	Not Signed	The Spanish Council of Ministers authorised the signing of the Investment Protection and Promotion Agreement on 23 Apr 2024.
DTADouble Taxation Avoidance Agreement	Ratified	Signed on 5 Mar 2006.Entered into force on 2 Apr 2007.
ASAAir Services Agreement	Ratified	Signed on 25 May 2008.Entered into force on 6 Sep 2009.Amended by an exchange of notes dated 6 Apr and 12 Jul 2021; amendment entered into force on 7 Jul 2022.

Ratified— Signed and entered into force

Signed— Signed, but entry into force or ratification is pending

Not Signed— No signed agreement exists

Last Updated: October 2026Source: Internal Research

UAE Foreign Assistance

UAE Aid to Spain	Total Amount
Amount (USD Mn)	-

Bilateral Visits

Official Visits from the UAE

H.E. Lana NusseibehMinister of State
Jan2026
H.E. Reem bint Ebrahim Al HashimyMinister of State for International Cooperation
Jul2025
H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al MarriMinister of Economy
Jun2025
H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al MarriMinister of Economy
Apr2025
H.E. Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al JaberMinister of Industry and Advanced Technology, and COP28 President-Designate
Jul2023

Official Visits to the UAE

H.E. Pedro SanchezPrime Minister of Spain
Feb2026
H.E. Fernando Grande-MarlaskaMinister of the Interior of Spain
Nov2025
H.E. Jose Luis EscrivaMinister for Digital Transformation and Civil Service of Spain
Feb2024
H.E. Carlos CuerpoMinister of Economy, Trade and Business of Spain
Feb2024
H.E. Jose Manuel AlbaresMinister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain
Feb2024
H.E. Juan Manuel MorenoPresident of the Regional Government of Andalusia, Spain
Dec2023
H.E. Xiana MendezSecretary of State for Trade of Spain
Feb2023
H.E. Ander Gil GarciaPresident of the Senate of Spain
Mar2022
H.E. Luis Planas PuchadesMinister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of Spain
Mar2022
H.E. Pedro SanchezPrime Minister of Spain
Feb2022
H.E. Jose Manuel AlbaresMinister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain
Feb2022
H.E. Maria Reyes Maroto IlleraMinister of Industry, Trade and Tourism of Spain
Feb2022