UAE Minister of Foreign Trade hails $37.6b trade growth with India during H1 2025

Mumbai: Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade, has reaffirmed the strength of economic ties between the UAE and India during an official visit to Mumbai, where he held talks with senior officials and leading business leaders.

Strengthening CEPA gains

In his meeting with Piyush Goyal, India’s Minister of Industry and Commerce, Dr Al Zeyoudi reviewed the achievements of the UAE-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which came into force in 2022. Discussions focused on expanding opportunities for sectors that can further benefit from its market access provisions.

He later met stakeholders from the logistics, agriculture, healthcare, and technology industries, and joined a business roundtable organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), and ASSOCHAM to promote greater trade and investment flows.

Trade growth on track

Dr Al Zeyoudi emphasised that CEPA has already delivered clear results. “This visit underlines our shared values and economic goals, and reflects the vast potential that is still to be tapped,” he said.

“In the first half of 2025, our bilateral non-oil trade reached $37.6 billion, a 33.9 per cent rise compared to the same period last year. This is a significant step towards the ambitious targets we set in 2022. It is vital that we continue to leverage our complementary strengths and deliver broad-based opportunities for our private sectors, he added”

Focus on Bharat Mart

As part of his visit, Dr Al Zeyoudi was briefed on the progress of Bharat Mart, a 2.7 million sq. ft. facility being developed in Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) by DP World.

The complex will serve as a hub for Indian exporters, enabling them to showcase products and use the UAE’s position as a global trade centre to reach markets across the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.

He also held meetings with leaders from the pharmaceutical and food sectors, where discussions centred on export performance, market challenges, and opportunities for deeper cooperation.

Expanding private sector engagement

The minister concluded his visit by attending a reception with Indian business and industry leaders, reinforcing efforts to strengthen collaboration between the two countries’ private sectors.

The trip underscored the UAE and India’s shared commitment to building stronger economic links, driving trade growth, and supporting mutual prosperity through long-term cooperation.