As the United Arab Emirates celebrates its 55th National Day, His Excellency Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade, offers insights on the growing partnership between the UAE and Japan and the opportunities emerging from deeper economic cooperation. His perspectives underscore how both nations are positioning themselves for shared growth across trade, technology and innovation.

Bridges: What key opportunities will the UAE-Japan CEPA open for both countries, particularly in areas such as technology, sustainability and trade?

Al Zeyoudi: The Comprehensive Economic Partnership between the United Arab Emirates and Japan is designed to lower tariffs, remove barriers to trade and enhance market access to both merchandise and services exports – which are all key to expanding industrial productivity and competitiveness. This will enable us to accelerate the rate of growth in our bilateral non-oil trade, which rose to US$15 billion in the first half of 2025, an increase of 21.4% on the same period in 2024.

A CEPA will also promote private-sector collaboration by creating platforms for joint-ventures and innovation partnerships, while facilitating investment into clean energy solutions, advanced technology, space sciences – the sectors identified in the Japan-UAE Innovation Partnership, which was signed during Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s visit to the UAE in July 2023. There is also scope to expand our start-up ecosystems. We have seen the success of the J-StarX Program, which is supporting early-stage Japanese tech enterprises to access opportunities in the UAE, and would like to scale that model.

Bridges: How will the UAE leverage its expanding global trade network and its deepening ties with Japan to strengthen its position as a gateway for regional and international investment?

Al Zeyoudi: The UAE is now one of the leading destinations for foreign capital. In 2024, we welcomed US$45.6 billion to our economy, placing us in the global top 10 for FDI attraction. Our open trade network, combined with our unrivalled connectivity and position at a global crossroads, is an important part of our value proposition, particularly for manufacturers, as we are able to offer frictionless access to a quarter of the world’s population. We support this with a pro-growth regulatory environment of low taxation, globally recognized legal frameworks, specialized freezones, and world-class digital and transport infrastructure. Initiatives such as NextGen FDI, which offers a suite of market-entry fundamentals to future-focused enterprises, are ensuring this capital is powering our transformation into an economy based on knowledge and innovation.

Today, we receive approximately 40 percent of Japan’s exports to Arab nations, with automotive parts, machinery, consumer electronics, precious metals and food products among the leading categories. So, the potential for expansion-minded Japanese businesses to use UAE as their platform for growth into Africa and Europe is already established.

Bridges: As the UAE marks its 55th National Day, what does the growing partnership with Japan represent for the country, and how do business and cultural exchanges bring both nations closer?

Al Zeyoudi: Japan and the UAE enjoy a long-standing friendship that has been built on a shared conception of progress and prosperity, where technology provides solutions to production, transport, education and healthcare, where cross-border collaboration drives stability, opportunity and growth, and where trade creates a fully connected global economy. We have already created lasting partnerships in energy, entrepreneurship and innovation, and believe that a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between us would not only enhance commercial ties but help pave the way for greater mutual understanding and respect as we support each other’s growth objectives.