UAE, Philippines sign CEPA to deepen trade, investment ties

The UAE and the Philippines have signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) to help fuel a new era of economic cooperation, boost bilateral investment flows, and create opportunities in vital sectors.

President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and leader of Philippines, Ferdinand R Marcos Jr., were present during the official signing of the agreement. It was held on the sidelines of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.

Sheikh Mohamed expressed confidence that the CEPA would represent a major step forward in bilateral cooperation, contributing to both countries’ shared development goals and reflect the UAE’s ongoing commitment to building global partnerships.

The CEPA will reduce tariffs and unnecessary barriers to trade, boost bilateral investment flows, and create opportunities in vital sectors such as electrical equipment, financial services, agriculture, and precious metals.

It will also boost private-sector collaboration, build more resilient supply chains, facilitate greater people-to-people knowledge transfer, and empower SMEs to expand their global operations.

The Philippines president, who is on a working visit to the UAE, will also take part in the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.

Sheikh Mohamed also has held talks with the leader of Philippines, during which both sides explored ways to strengthen cooperation, particularly in the fields of the economy, trade, investment and renewable energy.

UAE trade relations

• Bilateral non-oil trade totalled $940 million (AED3.5 billion) in 2024, and surpassed $853.7 million in the first nine months of 2025, reflecting a 22.4 per cent year-on-year increase.
• The UAE is the Philippines’ top export market among Arab and African countries, as well as its 17th largest trade partner globally. Overall, the CEPA is forecast to increase the UAE’s GDP by $2.4 billion by 2032.
• The CEPA programme is a key pillar of the UAE’s foreign trade approach, which aims to increase non-oil foreign trade to $1.1 trillion by 2031.
• In 2024, the programme contributed to the UAE’s record non-oil trade figure of US$810 billion, marking a 14 percent year-on-year increase.
• With 32 agreements concluded, and 14 having entered into force, the CEPA programme reflects the UAE’s commitment to open, rules-based trade to drive economic growth and diversification, and expand opportunities for UAE businesses with high-growth markets around the world.