The President of Nepal receives Thani Al-Zeyoudi… and they discuss mechanisms for improving bilateral trade and investment relations

KATHMANDU, July 10, 2017 (WAM) – His Excellency Ram Chandra Poudel, President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, received His Excellency Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade, in the presence of His Excellency Abdullah bin Jarwan Al Shamsi, UAE Ambassador to Nepal, at the Presidential Palace in the capital, Kathmandu.

At the beginning of the meeting, His Excellency Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi conveyed to His Excellency the President of Nepal the greetings of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, “may God protect him,” His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, “may God protect him,” and His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President of the UAE, Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the Presidential Office, and their congratulations to His Excellency on the occasion of assuming his duties, and their best wishes for his country. And its people with greater progress and prosperity.

For his part, His Excellency President Boudil welcomed the Emirati delegation, and His Excellency Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi conveyed his greetings to the wise leadership of the UAE, expressing his wishes for the state and its people for continued progress and prosperity.

His Excellency affirmed his keenness to continue improving the distinguished bilateral relations between Nepal and the UAE, and his aspiration to strengthen and develop them in various fields of common interest, especially in trade and investment.

During the official visit, which comes within the UAE Trade Days with the participation of an Emirati delegation of officials and business leaders, Al-Zeyoudi held a series of bilateral meetings with ministers, senior officials and business leaders in Nepal to discuss mechanisms for deepening bilateral trade and investment ties and expanding the scope of cooperation across priority sectors. Al-Zeyoudi met with His Excellency Dul Prasad Aryal, Speaker of the House of Representatives in the Federal Parliament, His Excellency Shishir Khanal, Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Dr. Swarnim Waghli, Minister of Finance, and His Excellency Sudan Gurung, Minister Interior, Her Excellency Gauri Kumari, Minister of Industry, Commerce and Supply, Asim Shah, Adviser to the Prime Minister’s Office and Cabinet, and Chandra Prasad Dhakal, former President of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry. The meetings focused on identifying practical ways to increase trade and investment flows between the two countries.

His Excellency Dr. Al Zeyoudi said: Nepal has a promising economy full of potential, and the focus of the visit was to discuss mechanisms for translating that potential into tangible commercial results for the private sector in the two countries, which are keen to deepen their economic partnership, especially in the fields of hydroelectric energy, tourism, manufacturing of agricultural products and technology, all of which are sectors in which the expertise of the UAE business community is integrated with Nepal’s abundant natural resources. By enhancing trade, investment and communication between the two peoples, we can open new horizons for common and long-term prosperity.

His Excellency also participated in a dialogue session that brought together business sector leaders from the UAE and Nepal, with the aim of discussing tangible investment opportunities and enhancing interaction within the private sector. The discussions centered on priority investment sectors in Nepal, including hydroelectric power generation, tourism infrastructure, agricultural product manufacturing, information technology, and large-scale infrastructure development, in addition to the importance of enhancing air connectivity between the UAE and Nepal to support the continued growth in trade, tourism and business travel.

The value of the UAE’s non-oil foreign trade with Nepal reached $438.4 million in 2025, an annual increase of 90.1%. Nepal’s non-oil exports to the UAE reached $348.6 million in 2025, an increase of 109.4% compared to the previous year, while the value of re-exports from the UAE to Nepal reached $84.6 million, an increase of 44%. This growth stems from a trade relationship that reached a peak value of $480 million in 2021, which confirms the broadening horizons for the two countries to build a more diversified and flexible economic partnership in the future.

The visit to Nepal comes as part of the UAE’s ongoing efforts to diversify its global trade partnerships and enhance cooperation with high-growth markets across South Asia, and the two sides expressed a joint commitment to building a more flexible and forward-looking economic relationship.

• For more: Follow Khaleejion 24 Arabic, Khaleejion 24 English, Khaleejion 24 Live, and for social media follow us on Facebook and Twitter