The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the United Arab Emirates and Australia has officially come into force, heralding a new era of economic collaboration between the two nations.

This agreement is expected to unlock new avenues for substantial trade in goods and services, private sector collaboration, and investment opportunities across a wide array of sectors.

With the CEPA now ratified by both sides and officially in force, it is expected to elevate annual bilateral trade from US$4.2 billion in 2024 to over US$10 billion by 2032. In the first half of 2025, the UAE’s non-oil foreign trade with Australia reached $3.03 billion, a year-on-year increase of 33.4 percent.

The agreement will help boost these numbers by reducing unnecessary barriers to trade, facilitating greater market access for goods and services, and creating a robust framework for investment and collaboration to increase opportunities in priority sectors.

Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade, expressed confidence in the agreement's impact, stating, “The entry into force of the UAE-Australia CEPA marks a pivotal step in enhancing our economic partnership and will lead to new pathways for collaboration and growth.”

He added that this agreement significantly strengthens the trade relations and opens doors for new investment in key sectors such as renewable energy, infrastructure, food security, and technology.

The UAE is Australia’s leading trade partner in the Middle East and its 20th largest partner globally. The CEPA is Australia’s first trade agreement with a country in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

With a combined investment of approximately $14 billion in each other's economies and 300 Australian companies already operating in the UAE market across various sectors, the potential for substantial growth in economic relations is significant.

The UAE's CEPA programme is a cornerstone of its economic strategy, targeting $1 trillion in total trade value by 2031 and aiming to double the size of the economy to exceed $800 billion by the same year.

The UAE-Australia CEPA is one of 31 agreements concluded to date, enhancing trade relations and expanding access for UAE businesses to key markets around the globe.