Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade, led a senior-level government delegation to Egypt on 29 December 2025 as negotiations continue towards finalising a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the two countries.
During the visit, Al Zeyoudi met with Hassan Al-Khatib, Egypt’s Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, to review the progress achieved by the technical teams. Both sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to advancing economic cooperation and strengthening bilateral trade relations.
The discussions focused on several core components of the proposed agreement, including rules of origin, regulatory frameworks for free zones, trade in services and digital commerce, underscoring a critical stage in the negotiation process.
Al Zeyoudi highlighted the strategic importance of deepening economic ties with Egypt, noting that the CEPA is expected to mark a new phase of collaboration by accelerating trade and investment flows while supporting sustainable growth in both economies.
Non-oil trade between the UAE and Egypt reached approximately USD8.4B last year, reflecting an annual increase of about 21 per cent. The figures underline the strength of bilateral economic relations and position the UAE as one of Egypt’s key trade partners in the GCC and wider Arab region.
The proposed CEPA aims to build on this momentum by expanding trade volumes, encouraging greater private sector engagement and unlocking new investment opportunities across sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing and renewable energy.
The Egypt negotiations form part of the UAE’s wider CEPA programme, which seeks to strengthen global trade links and diversify the national economy. To date, the UAE has signed 31 CEPAs, with 14 already in force, contributing to record levels of total trade and improved access to high-growth international markets.
