Investopia Bridge 2026: UAE Minister of State Noura Al Kaabi: “Our Reputation Is Our Capital”

H.E. Noura Al Kaabi, UAE Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, placed trust, reliability and reputation at the heart of the UAE’s approach to international partnerships during Investopia Bridge 2026 Abu Dhabi.

Speaking during the session “Bridges of Trust: Diplomacy, Capital and Culture in the UAE–UK Partnership,” Al Kaabi highlighted the importance of building relationships that extend beyond formal agreements and withstand periods of geopolitical and economic uncertainty.

“The connection starts with people, with seeds, with ideas. And I believe that consistency, especially in uncertain times, and being reliable is the hardest reputation to carry.

“The work that we do is outside the negotiation room. Negotiations can happen in a day or two. Signing an MOU can take a day, maybe even minutes. But what lasts is the trust and the partnership. It’s based on that: How can I build economic ties, people-to-people ties and political ties?

“I’m in a strategic partnership. It doesn’t mean that if I sign that agreement with a certain geography, I am against another geography. Therefore, we always have to be alert and resilient, based on technological changes, changing times, political structures and, unfortunately, the unrest happening around us. But I think the only consistent element is the trust that you build. And that trust takes time.”

Al Kaabi concluded with a message that connected the UAE’s international standing directly with its approach to capital and long-term partnerships.

“We want to be sustainable in our capital,” she said. “And our reputation is our capital.”

Joining Al Kaabi in the conversation, Dame Susan Langley, The Rt. Hon. the Lady Mayor of the City of London Corporation, echoed the importance of trust in translating diplomatic relationships into economic opportunities.

“Relationships take years to build. So when we talk about turning diplomacy into economic reality, that relationship gives you permission to do so, but it doesn’t happen overnight,” Langley said.

“The City of London, or the UK as a whole, and the UAE have a really deep and rich history. And I think specifically now, we are focusing on many of the same things. In this increasingly uncertain geopolitical world, we’re looking at diversification, we’re looking at risk, we’re looking at resilience.”

Langley pointed to the UK’s legal and financial infrastructure, as well as its innovation ecosystem, as areas underpinning its relationship with the UAE.

“I have never, in my entire life, used the words stability, trust, history and ‘our word is our bond’ as much about the UK. But that’s true, and what I love about the City of London and the partnership with the UAE is that we have those hundreds of years of history. We have English common law, which is used in 40% of contracts worldwide.”

“So we have that depth of knowledge and we have the ecosystem that’s built up. But on top of that, we’re layering innovation. We have the highest number of fintechs in Europe. We have the highest number of fintech unicorns. We have an Oxford-Cambridge corridor with life sciences booming and now moving into Canary Wharf.”

She added that the two markets increasingly share priorities around technology and investment.

“So in terms of the relationship with the UAE, you are also focusing on AI, on technology, not just investment. And that’s the mirror image of where we are in the City of London. And I think, based on the history we have of trust, it allows us to move forward, to share initiatives. Investment is both ways as well.”