The relationship between the EU and the UAE holds vast untapped potential, the bloc's ambassador to the Emirates has said.

Lucie Berger said the possibilities for co-operation were “so big" and she wants to achieve “tangible results” during her tenure.

In a wide-ranging interview to commemorate Europe Day on Thursday, Ms Berger reflected on issues from Gaza to climate change and outlined her priorities for her time here as envoy.

"It is a privilege to be here," said Ms Berger. "The potential for collaboration is so big and I'm really excited to spend hopefully four years and ... leave some tangible results behind."

The UAE is the EU's largest export destination and investment partner in the Middle East and North Africa region. The volume of bilateral trade in goods last year reached €55 billion ($59.2 billion), while trade in services accounted for €20 billion.

She said she was committed to bolstering this strong relationship but also wanted to promote the image of the EU beyond it.

“The EU has so much more to offer,” she said. “I would like to build the image of the EU as an important and reliable partner in areas such as climate, sustainable energy, digitalisation, humanitarian aid and development, but also security and regional stability.”

The EU-GCC free trade deal is still on the table and Ms Berger said there was still a “lot of willingness” to explore unblocking the deal at a regional level and "shifts in the region" had been noted.

Exploratory talks could take place by the summer but the framework would have to be modernised to consider the “completely different” economy of 2024.

“We also want to explore the bilateral relationship with the UAE,” said Ms Berger. “The bilateral relationship can be complementary to a regional agreement.”

She highlighted the EU’s strategic partnership with the Gulf that was launched in 2022 and said the EU would be keen on “something really comprehensive” that includes trade but also climate, sustainable energy, AI, security and political dialogue.

“I personally think that we could explore it even if there is a negotiation of a GCC free trade agreement,” she said, stating these decisions are ultimately in the hands of the member states.