UAE-BRICS non-oil trade tops $312 billion, Al Zeyoudi calls for Hormuz reopening

BRICS nations accounted for 31% of UAE non-oil trade, with India trade at $76.2 billion

Last updated: August 10, 2026 | 10:55

Nivetha Dayanand, Assistant Business Editor

2 MIN READ

UAE-BRICS non-oil trade tops $312 billion, Al Zeyoudi calls for Hormuz reopening

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Dubai: UAE non-oil trade with BRICS nations exceeded $312 billion in 2025, rising 28.5% from $243 billion a year earlier and accounting for about 31% of the country’s total non-oil foreign trade.

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The figures were highlighted during the 2026 BRICS Trade Ministers Meeting in Jaipur, where UAE Minister of Foreign Trade Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi also called for the immediate and unconditional reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and protection of international shipping.

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BRICS nations supplied 34% of UAE imports in 2025, received 23% of its non-oil exports and accounted for 28% of re-exports during the year.

UAE raises Hormuz concerns

Al Zeyoudi raised what the UAE described as grave concerns over Iran’s attacks on commercial shipping and the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz during the ministerial meeting.

He reiterated the UAE’s call for freedom of navigation and international shipping to be protected in line with international law.

Trade ministers discussed trade resilience, market connectivity and challenges affecting global commerce, although they did not reach consensus on a joint declaration at the end of the meeting.

At a time of heightened uncertainty in global trade, cooperation between emerging markets and developing economies is more important than ever. The UAE views BRICS as an important platform for strengthening economic cooperation and supporting an open and predictable trading environment. Our engagement in Jaipur reinforced the strength of the UAE’s economic relationships with fellow BRICS members, and we are committed to translating these discussions into tangible outcomes for businesses and communities

Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade

India trade reaches $76.2 billion

Al Zeyoudi also met Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal to review progress under the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, which entered into force in May 2022.

Non-oil trade between the UAE and India reached $76.2 billion in 2025, up 17.3% from the previous year.

The two sides discussed expanding cooperation in services trade, digital commerce, logistics and food security, while also seeking stronger private-sector participation in high-growth sectors.

Al Zeyoudi held separate meetings with trade officials from China, Egypt, Indonesia, South Africa and Russia, with discussions covering investment, priority sectors and greater private-sector engagement.

Also Read: Al Zeyoudi voices UAE's grave concern over Iran's attacks on shipping

Also Read: Why 2025 was transformative year for the UAE’s non-oil foreign trade

Also Read: India’s Budget 2026-27: A new chapter in the India-UAE economic partnership

Also Read: 15 exciting announcements from UAE President's visit to India

BRICS trade ties expand

BRICS currently includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Egypt, Iran and the UAE, following the expansion of the group from five members in 2024 and Indonesia’s entry in 2025.

The bloc represents about 40% of the world’s population and roughly 25% of global GDP.

The UAE is also pursuing a wider trade programme through its Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements, with a target of increasing non-oil foreign trade to $1.1 trillion by 2031.

Since the CEPA programme was launched in September 2021, the UAE has concluded 38 agreements with economies across Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas, with 18 currently in force, including agreements with BRICS members India and Indonesia.

Nivetha DayanandAssistant Business Editor

Nivetha Dayanand is Assistant Business Editor at Gulf News, covering aviation, financial markets and commodities. A business and financial journalist with a strong interest in multimedia storytelling, she regularly takes complex financial and economic subjects beyond the written word, producing explainer videos that make them easier for a wider audience to understand. Nivetha has interviewed senior policymakers, business leaders and global financial figures both on and off camera. Her past guests include UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Khaled bin Alwaleed Al Saud, a member of the House of Saud and the founder and CEO of KBW Ventures, Jihad Azour, Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund and Indian ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and N. Chandrababu Naidu. She has also hosted and moderated panels, conferences and awards shows, bringing her newsroom experience to live conversations on business, finance and the economy. An Erasmus Mundus journalism alum, Nivetha is drawn to stories that affect people directly and to reporting that gives a platform to voices that might otherwise go unheard. She was among the first journalists to speak to Petrofac employees in the UAE about unpaid salaries, broke the news of the planned demolition of Dubai’s well-known “Toyota Building”, and helped set the record straight on widely circulated claims that a giant replica of the Moon was coming to Dubai. More recently, her exclusive interview with EDGE Group CEO Hamad Al Marar revealed how the UAE-based defence group deployed its systems along the country’s shore border and established a geofence around the UAE within 48 hours of the February 28 escalation. Prior to joining Gulf News, Nivetha worked at ITP Media, where she helped launch Finance Middle East, a new publication covering the region’s financial sector. Her role spanned reporting and editing, video production, interviews and events. Across print, digital, and video, she focuses on finding the people behind business stories and explaining why those stories matter to the audience reading or watching them.

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