UAE/ Strategic partnerships and growing investment opportunities in Latin America

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Abu Dhabi, December 27 / WAM / The UAE continues to expand the network of economic and investment partnerships with strategic markets around the world, in a way that enhances investment flows, opens new horizons for trade, and serves sustainable growth goals.

The UAE seeks to diversify its economic partners and enhance cooperation with promising market countries in various regions, including Latin America, as the year 2025 witnessed the entry into force of a number of comprehensive economic partnership agreements with Latin American countries, as part of the UAE’s efforts to enhance trade and mutual investment.

Among the most prominent agreements is the entry into force of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with the Republic of Costa Rica on April 1, 2025, which aims to remove or reduce customs duties, facilitate trade in goods and services, and open broader areas of investment for small and medium-sized companies.

The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with the Republic of Chile also entered into force recently in November 2025 after its signing in July of last year, with the aim of enhancing non-oil trade and facilitating mutual investments in strategic sectors including infrastructure, energy, logistics, food security and technology, in addition to continuing negotiations to sign comprehensive economic agreements with other countries in the region, including the Republic of Peru.

Carla Flores, Director of Invest Chile, confirmed that the entry into force of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between the UAE and the Republic of Chile represents a qualitative shift in economic relations between the two countries, noting that it will contribute to accelerating the interest of UAE companies and sovereign funds in the investment opportunities available in Chile, and paving the way for expanding the balance of UAE foreign direct investments during the next stage.

She explained to the Emirates News Agency, WAM, that the UAE is a pivotal economic partner for Chile within the Gulf region, pointing out that the agreement builds on a solid institutional foundation that includes the double taxation avoidance agreement implemented since 2023, and the customs cooperation agreement in force since 2024, which enhances investor confidence and supports the business environment.

She pointed out that the agreement is not limited to reducing customs duties, but rather provides an integrated framework to enhance investment and develop value chains, in addition to establishing mechanisms for dialogue between governments and the private sector, in a way that supports the transition to long-term investment partnerships with an economic and development impact.

Regarding the latest developments in UAE investments in Chile, the director of “Invest in Chile” explained that the total cumulative UAE investments exceeded one billion US dollars, with ample opportunities to increase them in the future, noting that UAE companies are currently active in strategic sectors, including agricultural industries, food exports, logistics services and ports, in addition to infrastructure and real estate.

In this context, she pointed out that the DB World Group is managing and expanding its operations in major ports on the Chilean coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean, while the investments of the Abu Dhabi-based Unifrutti Company have contributed to strengthening food cooperation between Chile and the Gulf countries, in addition to the participation of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority in a number of infrastructure and real estate projects.

It is worth noting that UAE investments are likely to grow over the next five to ten years in Chile, driven by the compatibility of the UAE’s economic diversification priorities with the competitive advantages enjoyed by Chile, especially in the sectors of mining and vital minerals, renewable energy, green hydrogen, water and infrastructure, in addition to agricultural industries and digital infrastructure.

Existing UAE investments contribute to supporting Chile’s economic development goals, by creating job opportunities, enhancing export competitiveness, and developing infrastructure, and the next phase will witness an increased focus on investments linked to sustainable growth and innovation.

The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Program forms an essential part of the UAE’s foreign trade strategy, which aims to raise the total value of trade to reach one trillion dollars by 2031, and double the size of the economy to exceed $800 billion in the same year.

Since its launch in September 2021, the program has succeeded in reaching 32 agreements covering 53 countries, which contributed to strengthening trade relations and expanding the access of Emirati companies to markets representing approximately a quarter of the world’s population.