UAE Minister of Foreign Trade Al Zeyoudi meets Indian Business Council to boost CEPA gains

Abu Dhabi: Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade, has met with the Indian Business Council in the UAE to discuss ways of strengthening economic ties and private sector collaboration between the two nations.

The meeting comes as part of ongoing efforts to leverage the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which came into force in 2022 and has since played a central role in boosting bilateral trade and investment.

During the discussions, Dr Al Zeyoudi underlined India’s importance as a key trading partner, noting that non-oil trade between the UAE and India reached $65 billion in 2024, reflecting a 19.7% increase compared to the previous year.

“India is an essential partner in the UAE’s trade landscape,” he said. “Today’s discussions focused on maximising the benefits of CEPA to foster deeper collaboration between our vibrant private sectors.”

The CEPA with India was the first such agreement signed by the UAE as part of its ambitious foreign trade programme. Since its entry into force in May 2022, it has opened new opportunities across key sectors such as agriculture, renewable energy and logistics, while significantly boosting private sector partnerships.

Dr Al Zeyoudi highlighted a series of initiatives that demonstrate the progress made under CEPA:

Since its launch, CEPA has reduced trade barriers and enhanced investment flows, delivering measurable benefits for both economies. Officials from both sides say the agreement has already proven its value in accelerating bilateral trade growth and cementing the UAE and India’s roles as vital trade partners in the global market.