Thani Al-Zeyoudi: The UAE accounts for 30% of Ecuador’s Arab and African trade

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Abu Dhabi, 2 March / WAM / His Excellency Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade, said that the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between the UAE and the Republic of Ecuador represents a strategic milestone in the path of strengthening economic and trade relations between the two countries and opens new horizons for expanding cooperation and mutual investment in a way that serves sustainable development priorities and enhances integration with global markets.

In a statement to the Emirates News Agency, WAM, His Excellency explained that trade and investment relations between the two countries are witnessing continuous growth. The value of non-oil trade reached $373.6 million in 2025, achieving a growth of 3.2% compared to 2024 and more than tripling its level in 2019, while the UAE is Ecuador’s largest trading partner in the Arab world and the African continent, accounting for about 30% of Ecuador’s total trade with the countries of this region combined.

His Excellency pointed out that the two countries signed an agreement to encourage and protect investment, which aims to provide a transparent and stable environment for foreign direct investment flows by reducing risks, protecting intellectual property rights, and establishing clear frameworks for settling disputes, which reflects the importance of bilateral relations and provides an effective platform for facilitating trade and investment and building networks, as well as the opening of the Ecuador trade office in Dubai to support cooperation with the private sector.

He stressed that the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between the two countries aims to remove or reduce customs duties on more than 96% of goods and products exchanged, which contributes to improving market access for exports and strengthening supply chains.

He explained that the agreement provides a trade and investment corridor linking the UAE to Latin American markets, while the UAE’s position as a global trade center allows it to support the expansion of Ecuadorian companies towards the markets of Asia, the Middle East and Europe, in addition to increasing investments in vital sectors, enhancing partnerships between the private sector and supporting cooperation between small and medium-sized companies.

Al-Zeyoudi pointed out that the agreement benefits various sectors with clear integration in a number of fields, including renewable energy, agriculture, logistics services, technology, food production, advanced technologies including artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, mining, education, capacity building, tourism and hospitality, pointing out that the existing cooperation in the logistics services sector constitutes a solid basis for its expansion within the framework of the agreement.

His Excellency pointed out that Central and South America is one of the strategic priority regions for the UAE due to its location, natural resources, and promising economic opportunities. The country concluded economic partnership agreements with Costa Rica, Colombia, and Chile, the agreement of which entered into force on November 24, 2025. Work is also underway to explore opportunities for concluding agreements with other countries and blocs, including Peru and the Mercosur bloc.

Regarding the selection of Ecuador, His Excellency Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi explained that the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements Program focuses on building ambitious development partnerships with countries located in the most prominent growth centers around the world, and that Ecuador is at the heart of this vision due to its geographical location that qualifies it to be a major trade gateway to Latin America linking the region to global markets.

He pointed out that Ecuador signed free trade agreements with the United States of America, Canada and China, in addition to the European Free Trade Association, which includes Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Investment promotion policies also contributed to facilitating doing business through new legislation for partnership between the public and private sectors, allowing 100% foreign ownership and providing attractive tax incentives, noting that Ecuador’s gross domestic product in 2025 reached about 130 billion US dollars, which reflects the strength of the economy. And the growth path the country is witnessing.