UAE President arrives in Italy on state visit

President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrived in Italy on a state visit on Sunday evening.

As the UAE leader’s plane entered Italian airspace, it was escorted by a squadron of military aircraft in a gesture of welcome.

Sheikh Mohamed and his Italian counterpart exchanged medals during a welcome banquet, with His Highness awarding Sergio Mattarella the 'Order of Zayed', the UAE's highest civilian honour for world leaders and heads of state.

In turn, the Italian President awarded Sheikh Mohamed the 'Order of Merit of the Italian Republic', which is the highest medal granted by Italy to world leaders.

The two leaders on Monday held talks at the Quirinal Palace in Rome, focusing on their countries' strategic partnership and shared goals for development.

Mattarella expressed his confidence that Sheikh Mohamed's visit would help strengthen ties in a range of areas, while His Highness highlighted the UAE's commitment to further enhancing this partnership.

The UAE President also expressed his pleasure at visiting Italy and extended his best wishes for the nation's prosperity and well-being.

Today I enjoyed constructive talks with Italian President Sergio Mattarella in Rome, where we discussed the enduring cooperation and friendship linking the UAE and Italy for over five decades. Together, we aim to build upon these ties and achieve further growth and sustainable… pic.twitter.com/zFxP8oJSWD

— محمد بن زايد (@MohamedBinZayed) February 24, 2025