Thailand And UAE Advance Trade Deal To Boost Agriculture Exports
Thailand and the UAE are advancing a comprehensive trade agreement to expand agricultural exports and boost farmer incomes, with bilateral trade between the nations reaching $21.26 billion in 2025.
On September 23 at the UAE Mission to the United Nations, Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Suthiphon Thaveechai met with UAE Foreign Trade Minister Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi to discuss economic, trade, and investment matters, and to review progress on the Thailand–UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). The two sides agreed on opportunities to expand economic and investment cooperation.
The discussions reflected the economic partnership potential between Thailand and the UAE in both trade and investment sectors. Thailand's Commerce Ministry committed to accelerating cooperation on CEPA promotion, attracting UAE investment, and fostering business connections between private sectors of both countries to expand markets for Thai agricultural products and boost farmer incomes.
In 2025, the UAE was Thailand's eighth-largest trading partner globally (after China, the United States, Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam, and India) and the top partner within the GCC and Middle East region, with bilateral trade valued at $21.26 billion, up 4.88 percent. Thai exports to the UAE reached $4.50 billion, up 23.36 percent, led by motor vehicles and components, gems and jewelry, wood and wood products, air conditioning units and components, and computer equipment. Thai imports from the UAE totaled $16.76 billion, up 0.82 percent, dominated by crude oil, precious stones and metals, refined petroleum, other metal minerals and scrap, and natural gas. Thailand's trade deficit with the UAE was $12.25 billion.
