UAE-India CEPA reengineer our economy for the next 50 years: Al Kait

UAE-India CEPA reengineer our economy for the next 50 years: Al Kait

Juma Al Kait, Assistant Undersecretary of Foreign Trade Affairs at the Ministry of Economy, explains how businesses can take advantage of the new UAE-India trade deal now that it is going live

Juma Al Kait, assistant undersecretary of Foreign Trade Affairs at the Ministry Of Economy, and he offers his insight into what UAE companies need to do now about the UAE-India CEPA.

Published: Wed 4 May 2022, 4:00 PM

The UAE-India Comprehensive Partnership Agreement (CEPA) arrived with great fanfare in the middle of February, promising to create a new era of opportunity and prosperity in both nations — and push bilateral trade beyond $100 billion within five years. On May 1, it went into effect, promising to bestow clear benefits to UAE exporters in a range of industry sectors. But how exactly can they take advantage?

One of the people in the room throughout the five months of negotiations was Juma Al Kait, assistant undersecretary of Foreign Trade Affairs at the Ministry Of Economy, and he offers his insight into what UAE companies need to do now. Below are the excerpts of the interview:

Firstly, can you outline why this deal with India is such an important one for the UAE?

The UAE-India CEPA was