The United Arab Emirates has asserted that open, rules-based commerce is significant to sustainable growth, whereas unveiling strategic strikes to strengthen its world commerce footprint on the G20 Commerce & Funding Ministerial Assembly in Gqeberha, South Africa.
On the opening classes, Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of International Commerce, emphasised that commerce frameworks anchored in transparency and equity are the cornerstone for inclusive development and resilience. He urged member nations to modernise provide chains, deepen cooperation throughout establishments, and guarantee equitable entry to world markets.
Al Zeyoudi pointed to the UAE’s Complete Financial Partnership Agreements as a mannequin for harnessing commerce to drive funding in sectors like clear vitality, digital infrastructure, and well being programs. He cited the UAE’s CEPA offers with India, Australia, Türkiye and New Zealand as benchmarks that facilitate cross-border collaboration and sustainable growth. Since launching the CEPAs initiative in 2021, the UAE has finalised 31 commerce offers overlaying various geographies and economies.
Information offered on the ministerial underscores the UAE’s surging commerce momentum. Within the first half of 2025, the UAE’s non-oil commerce with G20 members exceeded US$231 billion, marking a year-on-year improve of 19.2 %. Throughout the similar span, UAE’s non-oil overseas commerce total topped US$816.9 billion in 2024—14.6 % above the earlier yr—outpacing world commerce growth.
India emerged as a standout companion, with non-oil commerce between the UAE and India rising 34 % within the first half of 2025. Whole two-way merchandise commerce exceeded US$83.7 billion within the fiscal yr 2023–24, positioning the pair to interrupt the US$100 billion barrier in annual commerce long run. The UAE–Türkiye CEPA has additionally accelerated commerce flows: bilateral non-oil commerce within the 12 months by August 2025 reached round US$44 billion.
On the African entrance, the UAE has launched CEPA negotiations with a minimum of ten nations, a number of of which have already concluded offers. Al Zeyoudi described this push as a mechanism to spice up regional worth chains and deepen integration throughout the International South.
Alongside commerce diplomacy, the UAE spotlighted its position in world funding in sustainable growth. Al Zeyoudi famous commitments exceeding US$16.8 billion in renewable vitality initiatives throughout 70 nations, reinforcing the nation’s picture as a development-oriented funding hub.
On the sidelines, the UAE delegation held high-level conferences with key commerce and financial stakeholders. Al Zeyoudi met WTO Director-Common Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to debate commerce governance challenges, and held bilateral talks with commerce ministers from South Korea, Japan, Canada, Indonesia and others. He additionally conferred with the EU’s Commerce Commissioner, underlining the UAE’s multi-faceted engagement throughout areas.
Delegates on the ministerial are deliberating reforms to strengthen the multilateral commerce system, deal with supply-chain fragility, increase digital commerce guidelines and harmonise commerce practices to assist growth targets. International locations agreed that commerce should be inclusive and conscious of challenges akin to local weather change, technological disruption and geopolitical fragmentation.