Abu Dhabi, UAE – May, 2026: The United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Türkiye continue to strengthen their strategic trade and investment partnership as a delegation from the UAE visited Istanbul. As part of this, His Excellency Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade, visited Türkiye, where he met with various government officials and addressed business leaders from both countries at the UAE-Turkish Business Forum. HE Al Zeyoudi also participated in the third meeting of the UAE- Türkiye Business Council.
This came on the sidelines of the visit of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President of the UAE, Deputy Prime Minister and Chief of the Presidential Court, who led a high-level Emirate delegation of ministers, senior officials and business leaders.
The UAE’s non-oil foreign trade with Türkiye surpassed USD$45.2 billion in 2025, marking a 15.5% year-on-year increase. The growth in trade and investment between the two countries has been significantly bolstered by the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which has been in force since September 2023. The CEPA quickly allowed for the two nations to exceed initial projections for bilateral non-oil trade, as itstreamlined trade processes and created a solid foundation for future cooperation and mutual economic growth.
During his visit, HE Dr. Al Zeyoudi held a bilateral meeting with Deputy Minister of Trade, HE Mustafa Tuzcu. The discussions focused on leveraging the initial success of the CEPA between the two countries to further expand trade relations and identify new opportunities for investment and collaboration.
HE Al Zeyoudi addressed business leaders from both countries, emphasizing the importance of partnership and innovation in driving economic growth. The forum served as a valuable platform for dialogue and resulted in the signing of 2 Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs),further enhancing collaboration between the two nations’ private sectors.
In his remarks to the forum, HE Al Zeyoudi stated, “The UAE and Türkiye share a strong and growing relationship built on mutual respect and shared objectives. The results we have seen from the CEPA demonstrate this clearly, with non-oil trade doubling since we agreed our trade deal in 2022. As we continue to deepen our ties and expand our collaboration, we are unlocking greater economic potential and driving sustainable growth that benefits both nations.”
Speaking at the UAE-Türkiye Business Council, HE Al Zeyoudinoted their strategic partnership, and the powerful efforts to boost bilateral trade and investment relations: “The UAE is committed to making the next chapter of our strategic partnership with Türkiye more ambitious and innovative. We look forward to writing a new success story that befits the ambitions of our two countries’ leaderships and the aspirations of our two peoples.”
The Emirati delegation to Türkiye included a number of business leaders and representatives from various sectors including logistics, trade and investment, energy and renewable energy, technology and artificial intelligence, agriculture and food security, financial services, aviation, healthcare and more.
The UAE-Türkiye CEPA was among the first agreements signed as part of the UAE’s national drive to enhance foreign trade and investment flows, strengthen supply chain resilience, and create opportunities for the private sector. Since its launch, the UAE has secured 36 agreements with strategic economic partners around theworld, and consistently surpassed previous foreign trade records. The visit to Türkiye was an opportunity to reinforce economic ties with a key partner and pave the way for further collaboration that will drive mutual prosperity and growth.
