UAE to expand CEPAs in 2025, says Thani Al Zeyoudi

Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, reaffirmed on Tuesday the UAE will continue to increase its Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPAs) in 2025, targeting additional countries to maximise benefits for the UAE and its global trade partners.

Minister Al Zeyoudi said that the agreements will strengthen rules-based international trade, drive sustainable development, increase investments, and enhance opportunities for trade in goods, services, and re-exporting.

In statements to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), Dr. Al Zeyoudi explained that the UAE's CEPAs programme is designed to expand the country's commercial and investment partnerships worldwide, positioning the UAE as a key gateway for non-oil goods and services and a global hub for business and investment.

He emphasised the agreements reflect the UAE's vision, which recognises the vital role of free trade based on clear rules in driving sustainable economic growth and inclusive development. The agreements' diversity and the UAE's ability to form valuable partnerships across five continents significantly increase opportunities for various sectors and open new markets.

Dr. Al Zeyoudi pointed out the CEPAs have already had a positive effect on various areas of the UAE's foreign trade, particularly non-oil trade, re-export services, logistics, clean and renewable energy, technology, financial services, green industries, advanced materials, agriculture, and sustainable food systems.

He explained they continue to have a tangible and direct impact on the country's foreign trade data, positively affecting various vital sectors, including the advanced technology sector.

Since the programme's launch in September 2021 until early December 2024, the UAE has signed 24 CEPAs with countries and international blocs, covering approximately 2.5 billion people—about a quarter of the global population.

In the first half of 2024, UAE foreign trade reached a historic milestone, surpassing AED1.395 trillion, reflecting an 11.2 per cent growth compared to the same period in 2023. The growth rates reached 28.8 per cent, 54.7 per cent, and 66 per cent, compared to the same periods in 2022, 2021, and 2019, respectively.