History of diplomatic relations
Kuwait recognised the Republic of Estonia on 15 September 1991. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established on 28 October 1994. Estonia’s first Ambassador to Kuwait, Andre Pung, who was based in Tallinn, presented his credentials in 2011. He was followed by Sander Soone (2016–2019), based in Cairo, and Jaan Reinhold, based in Abu Dhabi.
The current Estonian Ambassador to Kuwait, Maria Belovas, presented her credentials to Kuwait’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya, on 22 January 2025. The Ambassador is based in Abu Dhabi.
The first Kuwaiti Ambassador to Estonia, Abdulazeez Abdullateef Al-Sharikh, who was based in Bonn, presented his credentials in 1994. The current Kuwaiti Ambassador to Estonia is Ms Reem Mohammad Khaled Zaid Al Khaled, who presented her credentials to President Alar Karis on 10 June 2025.
Bilateral relations
To Estonia
- May 2022 – UAE Assistant Minister for Economic and Trade Affairs Abdulnasser Al Shaali visited Estonia with a business delegation. The first meeting of the Estonia-UAE Business Council was held.
- July 2021 – UAE Assistant Minister for Economic and Trade Affairs Abdulnasser Al Shaali visited Estonia with a delegation of UAE business representatives and government officials.
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- May 2018 – UAE Minister of Economy Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori visited Estonia. He met with Prime Minister Jüri Ratas and Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure Kadri Simson and visited the e-Estonia Briefing Centre.
- April 2010 – UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan met with Foreign Minister Urmas Paet in Tallinn on the margins of an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers.
- June 2009 – UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited Estonia.
To the UAE
- March 2022 – Minister of the Environment Erki Savisaar visited the UAE and met with UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment Mariam Al Mheiri.
- March 2022 – President of the Republic Alar Karis visited the UAE, where he met with UAE Vice President Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Estonia’s National Day was celebrated at Expo 2020 Dubai.
- March 2022 – Minister of Culture Tiit Terik visited the UAE, held meetings at the UAE Ministry of Culture and attended the celebration of Estonia’s National Day at Expo 2020 Dubai.
- February 2022 – Minister of Rural Affairs Urmas Kruuse visited the UAE, meeting with UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment Mariam Al Mheiri and Minister of State for Foreign Trade Thani Al Zeyoudi. He also visited Expo 2020 Dubai and the Gulfood exhibition.
- January 2022 – Foreign Minister Eva-Maria Liimets paid a working visit to the UAE with a business delegation. She met with UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Speaker of the Federal National Council Saqr Ghobash, visited Expo 2020 Dubai and opened an Estonia-UAE business seminar organised in cooperation with the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
- January 2022 – Minister of Entrepreneurship and Information Technology Andres Sutt visited the UAE with a business delegation from the Estonian Association of Information Technology and Telecommunications (ITL) and participated in events during the Travel and Connectivity Week at Expo 2020 Dubai.
- December 2021 – Minister of Education and Research Liina Kersna visited the UAE with a delegation of university rectors and EdTech entrepreneurs and met with UAE Minister of Education Hussain bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi.
- September 2021 – Minister of Entrepreneurship and Information Technology Andres Sutt visited the UAE with a 45-member business delegation. The Estonian pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai was opened during the visit.
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- February 2020 – A delegation of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu visited the United Arab Emirates and the State of Kuwait.
- December 2019 – Minister of Defence Jüri Luik visited the United Arab Emirates, accompanied by a delegation of companies from the Estonian Defence and Aerospace Industry Association.
- September 2019 – President of the Republic Kersti Kaljulaid visited the United Arab Emirates, accompanied by Estonia’s largest business delegation to date, consisting of 70 members.
- March 2019 – A 59-member Estonian delegation participated in the Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi. Minister of Culture Indrek Saar attended the opening ceremony. A total of 41 Estonian athletes competed in ten different sports.
- February 2019 – Prime Minister Jüri Ratas visited the United Arab Emirates, where he met with UAE Prime Minister Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Together with Minister of Entrepreneurship and Information Technology Rene Tammist, he opened the Enterprise Estonia representation in Dubai.
- December 2018 – Minister of Entrepreneurship and Information Technology Rene Tammist met in Dubai with UAE Minister of State and Director General of Expo 2020 Dubai Reem Al Hashimy.
- February 2017 – Minister of Defence Margus Tsahkna visited the United Arab Emirates. He met with UAE Minister of State for Defence Affairs Mohammed bin Ahmad Al Bowardi and attended the IDEX defence exhibition together with representatives of Estonian defence and security industry companies.
- October 2015 – President Toomas Hendrik Ilves attended the World Economic Forum in Abu Dhabi.
- October 2015 – Prime Minister Taavi Rõivas visited Dubai with a business delegation. The Prime Minister and the delegation attended the GITEX technology exhibition. He also held bilateral meetings with UAE Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Minister of Cabinet Affairs Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi. A memorandum of cooperation on e-government and ICT was signed between Estonia and Dubai.
- November 2014 – President Toomas Hendrik Ilves chaired a meeting of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Cybersecurity in Dubai and participated in a public discussion on the future of the internet.
- May 2014 – President Toomas Hendrik Ilves participated in the Panel on Global Internet Cooperation and Governance Mechanisms in Dubai.
- April 2011 – Foreign Minister Urmas Paet attended a meeting of the foreign ministers of the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council in Abu Dhabi. He also held a bilateral meeting with UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Key meetings
- October 2025 – Undersecretary Martin Roger met with Kuwait’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and Assistant Foreign Minister Sadiq Mohammed Marafi in Kuwait, on the margins of the EU-Gulf Cooperation Council meeting.
- June 2023 – Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna met with Kuwaiti Ambassador Najeeb Al-Bader in Tallinn.
- February 2022 – Foreign Minister Eva-Maria Liimets met with Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Ahmed Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah in Brussels on the margins of the EU-GCC Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.
- January 2022 – Foreign Minister Eva-Maria Liimets met with Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Ahmed Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah in Brussels on the margins of the Foreign Affairs Council.
- September 2021 – Foreign Minister Eva-Maria Liimets met with Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Ahmed Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah in New York on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly.
- February 2020 – President Kersti Kaljulaid met with Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sabah Khalid Al-Hamad Al-Sabah in Munich during the Munich Security Conference.
- September 2019 – Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu met with Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah in New York on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly.
- February 2019 – Prime Minister Jüri Ratas met with the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, in Sharm El Sheikh during the European Union-League of Arab States Summit.
- September 2018 – Foreign Minister Sven Mikser met with Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah in New York on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly.
- September 2015 – Foreign Minister Marina Kaljurand met with Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah in New York on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly.
For more detailed information on trade with Kuwait, see the Statistics Estonia application.
Last updated: 01.09.2026