Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade, reaffirmed the UAE’s firm commitment to supporting open, rules-based trade as a key driver of long-term sustainable development worldwide. He made these remarks while leading the UAE delegation at the G20 Trade and Investment Ministers meeting held in Gqeberha, South Africa.

The UAE’s non-oil foreign trade with G20 countries exceeded $231.6 billion in the first half of 2025, growing 19.2% compared to the same period in 2024, and increasing by 3% compared to the second half of 2024, confirming the continued upward trend in UAE-European trade flows that started years ago.

Al Zeyoudi reviewed the UAE’s ongoing efforts to promote cooperative solutions to current global trade challenges, including the need to strengthen and modernize supply chains, improve access to the global trading system, and ensure its fairness. He emphasized the importance of coordinating efforts and outcomes among international organizations to achieve a balanced global trading system and addressing developmental issues within trade policies to ensure all countries benefit from global trade.

The G20 Trade and Investment Ministers meeting serves as the main dialogue platform where member countries discuss trade and investment issues, forming the basis for discussions at the upcoming G20 Leaders’ Summit in November 2025. The UAE participated as a guest invited by South Africa during its G20 presidency.

The UAE delegation, led by Dr. Al Zeyoudi, took part in sessions on the role of manufacturing in sustainable development, principles of trade and inclusive growth, and the ongoing need to reform the World Trade Organization.

An international report issued by UNCTAD and the OECD highlighted the importance of the UAE’s Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPA) program, which continues to be implemented as a model to drive trade and facilitate investment in key sectors worldwide, including clean energy, digital transformation, and public health. The report, requested by South Africa during its G20 presidency, spotlighted the UAE’s partnership agreements with India, Australia, Turkey, and New Zealand as best practices demonstrating the role of trade agreements in fostering constructive international cooperation and sustainable economic growth.

Since launching the CEPA program at the end of 2021, the UAE has concluded 31 trade agreements with countries having promising economies across key growth regions worldwide. Al Zeyoudi noted that the UAE has initiated talks for CEPA agreements with at least 10 African countries, completing several, reflecting the UAE’s trade policy support for value chains in the region. He also highlighted the UAE’s commitment to over $16.8 billion in renewable energy investments across 70 countries, stressing the importance of supporting sustainable manufacturing and energy provision globally.

On the sidelines of the meeting, Al Zeyoudi held high-level bilateral meetings, including discussions with WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on the current state of global trade, and senior officials such as Yoo Han Koo, South Korea’s Minister of Trade; Fujii Hisaoki, Japan’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs; Koga Yuichiro, Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry; Maroš Šefčovič, European Union Trade Commissioner; Maninder Sidhu, Canada’s Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development; Budi Santoso, Indonesia’s Minister of Trade; and Helen Budliger, Switzerland’s State Secretary for Trade. These meetings reinforced the UAE’s commitment to nurturing international partnerships and enhancing cooperation in trade and investment.

The G20 countries represent 85% of global GDP, 75% of international trade, and two-thirds of the world’s population, playing a fundamental role in shaping the global economic landscape. In the first half of 2025, the UAE’s non-oil foreign trade with G20 countries exceeded $231.6 billion, growing 19.2%, reinforcing the UAE’s position as a global trade hub. By the end of 2024, the UAE’s total non-oil foreign trade value surpassed $816.9 billion, an increase of 14.6% compared to 2023, nearly five times the global trade growth rate.