Thani Al Zeyoudi Engages With Malaysian Business Council To Enhance Private Sector Collaboration

The UAE is working to boost private sector awareness about the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with Malaysia. Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade, met with the Malaysian Business Council in the UAE to discuss this. The agreement aims to strengthen trade and investment ties between the two countries once it becomes active.

Dr. Al Zeyoudi emphasised that CEPA will provide greater market access and reduce customs duties, facilitating smoother trade processes across various sectors. He stated, "Our CEPA will provide greater market access, reduce customs duties, and streamline trade processes across various sectors, positioning both UAE and Malaysian companies for mutual growth." This agreement is expected to create a strong framework for collaboration between businesses in both nations.

Malaysia plays a significant role as one of the UAE’s top trading partners in the ASEAN region. Dr. Al Zeyoudi noted Malaysia's export-driven economy and its commitment to open trade through 16 free trade agreements like RCEP and CPTPP. He said, "With Malaysia's robust export-based economy and commitment to open, rules-based trade - as demonstrated by its network of 16 free trade agreements, including RCEP and CPTPP - we see immense potential for collaboration to achieve mutual prosperity."

The UAE's non-oil foreign trade with Malaysia reached US$5.5 billion in 2024, showing a 10.9% increase from 2023. In the first half of 2025 alone, bilateral trade amounted to US$3.3 billion, marking a 30.9% year-on-year rise and a 10% increase compared to the previous six months. Both countries are committed to boosting foreign direct investment in each other's economies.

Dr. Al Zeyoudi encouraged businesses to prepare for CEPA's implementation by fostering closer ties between private sectors. He highlighted key areas such as artificial intelligence, renewable energy, logistics, and healthcare as promising fields for collaboration: "By fostering closer ties between our private sectors, we can unlock many new avenues for investment and innovation."

Strategic Partnerships

The UAE has already established CEPAs with Indonesia, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Vietnam. These agreements have significantly increased its non-oil foreign trade with ASEAN nations to US$37.7 billion in 2024—a rise of 4.2% from 2023 and 16.8% from 2022. ASEAN countries accounted for 4.6% of the UAE's total non-oil trade globally in 2024.

Notable collaborations include investments from major UAE companies like Mubadala Energy and First Abu Dhabi Bank in Malaysia. Successful Malaysian enterprises such as GISB Holdings are also operating in the UAE. These partnerships aim to support economic growth and strengthen bilateral relations.

The collaboration between the UAE and Malaysia offers significant opportunities for shared prosperity and economic growth as part of the UAE's strategic partnerships in the ASEAN region.

With inputs from WAM