TBILISI, September 22 – The president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, paid an official visit to Georgia over the weekend, and was hosted at the private residence of Bidzina Ivanishvili, the honorary chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party.
The event marked Ivanishvili’s first public appearance in a political setting in years, and images of the meeting were released by the party itself. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Economy Minister Mariam Kvrivishvili, Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili, and other officials also attended.
At the meeting, Ivanishvili praised deepening economic ties with the UAE, while Sheikh Mohamed confirmed a planned USD 6 billion investment in Georgia, alongside programs for student education and training in artificial intelligence.
Following the talks, the Georgian government and UAE representatives signed agreements on two large-scale investment projects.
The meeting caused considerable debate in Tbilisi. Opposition parties said Ivanishvili, who holds no official state post, overshadowed the prime minister and cabinet. Former president Salome Zurabishvili called the meeting a “shameful parody,” accusing officials of acting as Ivanishvili’s subordinates.
Some analysts see the event as an expression of Georgia’s multi-vector foreign policy, showing it is not solely focused on Europe. Others criticized the optics of a non-officeholder leading a meeting with a foreign head of state. Speaking to Rezonansi, analyst Vakhtang Dzabiradze described it as “a tragedy” for Georgia’s constitutional order, while commentator Ramaz Sakvarelidze told the newspaper that Ivanishvili is the true author of the government’s strategy, likening his role to that of Deng Xiaoping in China.
