UAE’s booming trade opens doors to 2.2bln consumers

UAE’s booming trade opens doors to 2.2bln consumers

ABU DHABI: UAE exporters can reach more than 2.2 billion consumers today thanks to new trade agreements with some of the world’s fastest-growing economies, Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, said.

Speaking at the Make it in the Emirates Forum, Dr. Zeyoudi said Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPAs) with India, Israel, Indonesia, and Türkiye increased the number of people manufacturers could reach by 1.6 billion. This will grow further with the Emirates poised to sign a string of new deals this year.

“We’re focusing on the countries that are expected to have huge growth and huge demand for the products we’re producing,” He said during a panel session titled ‘The Value Proposition’. “We are going to conclude four to six agreements by the end of the year and that’s going to create huge opportunities for our manufacturers and factories.”

He added, “The UAE has provided a wide range of incentives and enablers to attract foreign direct investments and created an ecosystem that supports the establishment and expansion of businesses.”

He noted how UAE-based manufacturers can now reach 134 countries around the world through the country’s ports, adding that its CEPAs could contribute to more than 2.6 percent of