The UAE and Japan Finalize the Terms of a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement

The United Arab Emirates and Japan have finalized the terms of a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement—the first of its kind between Japan and an Arab country—with the aim of further enhancing trade and investment relations between the two friendly nations and propelling them toward new horizons of mutual economic growth.               

The announcement of the agreement’s terms and the successful conclusion of negotiations between the two countries came during the official visit of His Excellency Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Special Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs to Japan, during a meeting with His Excellency Toshimitsu Motegi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

This agreement comes within the framework of the mutual commitment between the UAE and Japan to continue strengthening their historic strategic relations in all fields, particularly in trade and investment.                                                    The agreement also opens up new opportunities for partnership in the fields of research and development, innovation, smart mobility, and energy security, in addition to financial services and digital transformation. These areas align with the UAE’s vision to build an economy based on knowledge and innovation, and support the priorities of both countries within the framework of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership signed in 2022.

Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber said, that these efforts are in line with the wise leadership’s directives to strengthen economic and trade relations with Japan. The successful conclusion of negotiations on the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between the UAE and Japan reflects the strength of the strategic partnership between the two countries and their shared commitment to promoting innovation, industrial development, and achieving sustainable economic growth.       

For his part, Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi said that the conclusion of our negotiations with Japan, one of the world’s largest economies and a key member of the Group of Seven, represents an important step forward in elevating the strategic relations between the UAE and Japan, noting that by removing barriers to trade and facilitating the mutual flow of investments, the agreement will open new horizons for the private sector in both countries, by providing a vital platform for building promising partnerships between the business communities on both sides, thereby serving the interests of the two friendly nations and their shared prosperity.

The successful conclusion of the negotiations builds on thriving trade relations, with non-oil trade between the UAE and Japan reaching $20.3 billion in 2025, a 16.7% increase compared to 2024. The UAE has cemented its position as Japan’s largest trading partner in the Middle East and Africa, accounting for 39% of Japan’s trade with Arab and African nations.

 The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements program adopted by the UAE forms a cornerstone of its foreign trade strategy, as the country has concluded agreements with more than 35 high-growth economies since the program’s launch in September 2021, thereby enhancing access to markets comprising nearly a quarter of the world’s population