CEPA programme strengthens UAE’s global economic position

The UAE’s Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) programme, initiated in September 2021, has resulted in 26 agreements with strategically significant countries and international blocs by the end of the first quarter of 2025, bolstering its regional and global economic position.

In 2025 alone, the UAE signed five new CEPAs with Malaysia, New Zealand, Kenya, Ukraine, and the Central African Republic. These agreements significantly expand the country’s global trade network and create new opportunities for the UAE’s private sector and business community across some of the world’s most dynamic economies.

Six of these agreements have officially entered into force. Fourteen others have been signed and are undergoing technical and ratification procedures in preparation for implementation. Negotiations on six more agreements have been finalised, and the signing is expected soon.

Throughout 2025, the CEPA programme continues to broaden the UAE’s trade and investment partnerships, strengthening the country’s role as a hub for open and multilateral global trade.

The UAE is also in the final stages of CEPA negotiations with several major economies-most notably Japan-with talks expected to conclude before the end of 2025. This reflects both nations’ commitment to deepening economic collaboration and unlocking new opportunities for economic growth and development between their business communities.

The results of four key agreements that have already taken effect highlight positive outcomes including non-oil trade between the UAE and India grew by 20.5 percent, with UAE exports to India jumping 75 percent by the end of 2024.

Trade with Turkey rose by over 11 per cent, with Indonesia seeing growth exceeding 15 per cent, and Georgia recording a remarkable 56 per cent increase.These results underscore the real-world impact of CEPAs, which typically take five years or more to show significant effects.

The CEPAs have had a positive impact on the UAE’s foreign trade performance, which continues to witness steady growth. The CEPA programme has accelerated this upward trajectory, supporting progress toward the targets outlined in the “We the UAE 2031” vision. This national agenda aims to raise the total value of the UAE’s non-oil foreign trade in goods to AED4 trillion, and to increase non-oil exports to Dhs800 billion by the year 2031.

The positive impact of these agreements has been felt across multiple sectors, most notably in the UAE’s non-oil foreign trade and re-export services.

Key beneficiaries of these agreements include sectors such as logistics, clean and renewable energy, advanced technology and applications, financial services, green industries, advanced materials, agriculture, and sustainable food systems.

The UAE and Central African Republic have recently signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

The agreement aims to enhance bilateral trade and investment opportunities, particularly in key sectors.

Last year, Dr Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, has affirmed that 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 these 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 that these 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 that 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 that CEPAs 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 concluded 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 Dhs1.395 trillion, reflecting an 11.2% growth compared to the same period in 2023. The growth rates reached 28.8%, 54.7%, and 66%, compared to the same periods in 2022, 2021, and 2019, respectively.

WAM