Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade, revealed that negotiations on Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPAs) between the United Arab Emirates and both Japan and the European Union have reached advanced stages.
This step aims to open new avenues for trade and investment relations, strengthen economic ties, and enhance development partnerships in a way that supports economic prosperity and creates more opportunities for business communities.
In a statement to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), Dr. Al Zeyoudi said that the UAE continues CEPA negotiations with several countries of significant weight in the global economy and international trade, noting that negotiations with Japan and the European Union have made substantial progress, with the second round of talks scheduled for the second week of next December.
He added that negotiations with both Nigeria and the “Mercosur” bloc in Latin America have also reached advanced stages, expressing his hope for their completion in the coming weeks.
Al Zeyoudi explained that the UAE’s non-oil foreign trade continues to achieve record growth rates, with total non-oil trade exceeding AED 2.67 trillion during the first nine months of 2025, marking a growth of 24.6% compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, non-oil trade figures for the third quarter of this year approached AED 1 trillion for the first time in the nation’s history.
He noted that non-oil exports grew by more than 42% during the first nine months of this year, while imports increased by 23% and re-exports by 15%, reflecting the strong diversification of the UAE’s foreign trade structure.
Al Zeyoudi pointed out that gold, diamonds, precious metals, aluminum, copper, and perfumes are among the key commodities that contributed to boosting the UAE’s trade with the world.
He affirmed the UAE’s commitment to diversifying its trade partners and entering comprehensive economic partnership agreements that bring mutual benefits.
He indicated that the agreements implemented for more than a year have yielded positive results, with trade growing by 19.4% with India, 16.6% with Türkiye, 5.2% with Indonesia, 45% with Cambodia, and more than 100% with Costa Rica during the first nine months of 2025.
He also noted that recent estimates by the World Trade Organisation indicate that global trade growth is expected to reach 2.4% by the end of this year, while the UAE has significantly surpassed these levels, reflecting the soundness of the economic and trade policies adopted by the country in recent years, which have positioned it as a global hub for exports, re-exports, industry, and investment.
