In the early hours of this Friday, the national government ordered the transfer of Ambassador Jorge Agustín Molina Arambarri from the Argentine Embassy in the United Arab Emirates to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The decision was recorded in the Official Gazette through the publication of Decree No. 1357/2026. "Transfer from the Embassy of the Republic to the United Arab Emirates to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship, the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador Jorge Agustín Molina Arambarri," it was reported. In this way, President Javier Milei and Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno determined that the official must be in the country by December 8. They also stressed that the change responds to "reasons of service." According to the document, Molina Arambarri had served as extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador of the Argentine Republic to the United Arab Emirates since July 2019. His appointment had been formalized through Decree No. 503/2019.
On the other hand, the authorities did not specify what his new functions within the ministry will be, nor who will replace him in the mission to the Arab country. Molina Arambarri's return comes at a time of increased bilateral activity between Argentina and the United Arab Emirates. Recently, both governments began negotiations to move toward a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, known as CEPA, with the aim of expanding trade, promoting investments, and creating a framework for economic cooperation. The talks took a formal step in September, during a meeting in New York between Quirno and the Emirati Minister of Foreign Trade, Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, in the context of the United Nations General Assembly. There, the intention to deepen trade ties was expressed and the start of negotiations for that agreement was announced. The agreement under discussion covers sectors that the Argentine government considers priorities for the arrival of foreign capital. Among them are mining, strategic minerals, energy, agribusiness, infrastructure, tourism, the aerospace industry, and artificial intelligence. Diplomat Hafsa Abdulla Mohamed Sharif Alulama took up her representation of the United Arab Emirates before the Argentine Foreign Ministry. (Screenshot) According to official data from the United Arab Emirates, non-oil trade between the two countries reached USD 767.5 million in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 42.6% compared to the previous year. In fact, the Argentine ambassador's departure occurred just a few weeks after the new representative of the United Arab Emirates in Buenos Aires, Hafsa Abdulla Mohamed Sharif Alulama, presented her credentials to the Argentine foreign minister. Alulama took up her diplomatic mission in October, replacing Saeed Abdulla Al Qemzi, who concluded his term in May after five years in the post. Before arriving in Argentina, the ambassador had served in her country's missions in Montenegro, Brazil, and Germany, in addition to having worked in the financial sector. During the meeting with the new representative, the Argentine Foreign Ministry raised the need to deepen the bilateral agenda based on the negotiations over the trade agreement. Alulama's arrival thus coincided with a stage of political and economic contacts between both governments. The alliance between YPF and the ADNOC subsidiary contemplates an investment of 51 billion dollars to export gas from Vaca Muerta. The relationship between the countries already includes a Bilateral Investment Treaty and an agreement to avoid double taxation. According to the balance sheet released by the outgoing ambassador, 36 bilateral agreements were signed during his term in areas such as trade, energy, culture, and education. One of the main projects linked to the bilateral economic relationship is the partnership between YPF and XRG, a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) group, for the development of Argentina LNG. The initiative also contemplates the participation of the Italian company Eni and foresees total investments close to USD 51 billion. The plan aims to produce liquefied natural gas from the resources of Vaca Muerta and export it from two floating liquefaction units located off the coast of Río Negro. The planned initial capacity is 12 million tons per year of liquefied natural gas. The project's first exports are projected for 2030 or 2031, according to the information released about the initiative.