DUBAI: The UAE is no longer a regional gateway, but one to the whole world, said a senior official recently.
“We are no more a gateway to the region but the whole world, and we ensure most of the global trade comes from us”, said Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade at the World Green Economy Summit. “Our ultimate goal is to reach 90 per cent of Global trade because of low customs tariffs in the UAE.”
The UAE’s non-oil foreign trade grew 17 per cent in the first half of 2022 to surpass Dh1 trillion for the first time in the Country’s history. These numbers reaffirmed the success of the country’s strategic directions and visions in accelerating a full recovery following the negative repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic on international trade.
UAE TARGETS NEXT ‘G7’Al Zeyoudi said the UAE is targeting the next “G7” countries which are set to be almost double the current G7 countries in terms of economic size.
“By 2050, the current G7 is going to be totally changed. There are going to be new G7 emerging economies –
India, Indonesia, Turkey, Russia, South Korea, Mexico and South Africa. These countries are going to almost double the G7 now”, Al Zeyoudi said during the summit.
“That is why we picked many of those for the CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement).
We signed CEPA with India and are pursuing it with others – we are soon going to sign a deal with Turkey. We are going to have the same relations with [all those] that are going to be global economies.”
He added that the UAE’s ultimate goal is to reduce dependency on oil and ensure that revenues coming from oil and gas should be invested in diversification and futuristic sectors. “We were lucky that we have had the flexibility and agility to capitalise on this and ensure that we see not only the negative side, but also the positive side, to attract more companies and investments.”
AGGRESSIVE ON FTAS, CEPA
The Minister stressed that the UAE will continue to move aggressively on free trade agreements (FTAs) and CEPAs.
“We believe FTA or CEPA negotiations should not take more than a year and a half because the world is changing very fast.
If counterparts are not willing to move with us at the same pace, we are not going to rest. Two to three years from now, economies are going to change and the sectors are going to be different.”
UAE’S NEUTRAL INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC DIPLOMACY
Al Zeyoudi said the UAE will pursue neutrality in its economic policies as it is part of the country’s principles.
“Neutrality is going to run international economic diplomacy of the Country, and we saw its benefit after Abraham Accord with Israel, resulting in a huge increase in trade numbers. The region will not be able to go anywhere without direct dialogue. We are going to be neutral for the sake of the peace and prosperity of the region,” he said.
