Today's Edition
MAYS IBRAHIM (ABU DHABI)
The UAE's trade and investment with G20 economies have grown steadily in recent years. With a portfolio of extensive partnerships and strategic agreements, the country is emerging as an influential player and a heavyweight in global commerce.
In the first half of 2025, the UAE's non-oil foreign trade surged to a record Dh1.7 trillion, representing an unprecedented 24% year-on-year growth.
A closer look at these numbers underscores the UAE's deep integration within the G20 ecosystem.
Non-oil trade between the UAE and G20 economies alone soared above $231 billion during this period, marking a 19.2% rise compared with the same period in 2024.
This growth positions the UAE not merely as a regional hub but as a pivotal node in global trade networks.
Driving this momentum is the UAE's diversification strategy and trade diplomacy, particularly its Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) programme.
Since its launch in 2021, CEPA has delivered 28 agreements, with 10 already in force, providing streamlined customs access to markets that collectively serve nearly 3 billion consumers.
Global non-oil exports are also hitting record highs. In H1 2025, they reached Dh369.5 billion, a 44.7% increase from the previous year – the fastest growth in the nation's history.
Total exports now represent 21.4% of total non-oil trade, with Switzerland, India, Türkiye and Hong Kong among the top markets.
Imports of non-oil goods rose to Dh969.3 billion, up 22.5% year-on-year. Together, these figures reflect the UAE's ambition to not just act as a conduit, but actively shape global value chains.
Historically, G20 economies have been central to the UAE's trade landscape. In 2022, non-oil trade with G20 members hit $341 billion, accounting for 55% of the country's total non-oil trade – a 21% rise from 2021 and a substantial leap over pre-pandemic levels.
In statements to the Emirates News Agency (WAM) at the 2023 G20 New Delhi Summit, Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, said that G20 countries account for 43% of UAE non-oil exports, 39% of re-exports, and 67% of imports.
Emirati investments in G20 nations surpassed $215 billion by the end of 2021, while inbound foreign direct investment from these economies exceeded $74 billion.
The UAE has also leveraged its CEPA programme to support inclusive, rules-based trade. At the G20 Trade & Investment Working Group in March 2025, UAE officials highlighted supply-chain accessibility as a cornerstone of economic growth and outlined their Africa-focused trade strategy, with agreements concluded with Kenya, Mauritius, Congo-Brazzaville, the Central African Republic, and Morocco.
Later that year, the UAE's CEPA framework was featured in a UNCTAD-OECD report during the G20 Trade & Investment Ministerial Meeting under South Africa's presidency.
The report praised CEPA's role in attracting investment to sectors such as clean energy, digital transformation and public health.
Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi emphasised that open, rules-based trade is essential for long-term development – a principle that underpins the UAE's broader G20 agenda.
