Reflections on Two Years of UAE-Turkey Economic Partnership: A Path to Growth, Insha'Allah
As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullah, friends! Looking back, we all felt this was a big leap forward for the UAE’s new trade approach and the future well-being of our region. On March 3, 2023, at the Hilton Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, ministers and officials from the UAE and Turkey came together to sign the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (Cepa). This was a key moment showing our countries’ shared commitment to growth and trust in open, smooth trade to bring it.
The UAE-Turkey Cepa started on September 1, 2023, cutting or lowering tariffs on 82% of goods, simplifying customs, and opening doors for private sector partnerships and investments. We expected it to push non-oil trade between us past $40 billion in five years-almost three times what it was in 2021-and grow UAE exports to Turkey by 21.7% by 2030.
Now, as we reach October 2025, we have two years of data to see if those hopes were on point. And the results are clear: Cepa has helped us beat every expectation and overcome challenges in today's tricky trade environment. In the first year, non-oil trade between the UAE and Turkey hit $40 billion-a 42% jump from the previous year. Also, in the last five months of 2023, Turkey took 60% of the UAE’s total non-oil exports for the year. We met our five-year trade goals in under 18 months, Alhamdulillah.
This strong momentum continued into the second year. Early data shows trade reached about $44 billion between September 2024 and August 2025, a 12% rise despite supply chain issues in the Middle East and a global trade slowdown. In the first half of 2025, UAE non-oil exports to Turkey were $7.41 billion-three times the total for 2019.
Our relationship goes beyond just trading goods. The Cepa aims to create a growth corridor in our region, encouraging investment and private sector cooperation in key areas like manufacturing, food production, logistics, financial services, and renewable energy.
In July 2023, after signing Cepa, President Sheikh Mohamed and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed on a $51 billion investment plan to promote economic stability and development. We’re now seeing these projects come to life, like the merger of DP World with Evyap Group to upgrade ports for better shipping capacity, boosting Turkey’s role in global supply chains.
AD Ports Group’s Noatum Maritime is also working to improve Turkey’s logistics by opening offices in Istanbul and Izmir, supporting the huge volume of sea cargo passing through, and enhancing links to the UAE.
There’s progress in finance too. ADQ’s purchase of Odeabank is part of plans to grow in Turkey’s banking sector and develop fintech solutions for a growing market. This summer, Turkish e-commerce Trendyol, drone maker Baykar, Chinese fintech Ant International, and ADQ formed a venture to create a new FinTech platform offering digital financial services like payments, loans, insurance, and investments.
Investments are flowing into the UAE as well. Turkish projects here now total over $17.7 billion, making the UAE the 10th largest destination for Turkish investment worldwide-proof of our ability to connect Turkey’s private sector with global opportunities.
We’re still early in the Cepa journey. The door to deeper cooperation is open, but our business communities need support to step through it. That’s why in July, our leaders met again in Abu Dhabi to sign seven new agreements in tourism, hospitality, pharmaceuticals, industry, manufacturing, and food-agriculture-fueling new partnerships and projects between us.
What we’ve seen in these two years is a solid step forward in UAE-Turkey ties, with more milestones ahead, Insha’Allah. The record trade numbers, deals made, and investment promises so far show we’re moving forward together, with the blessings of Allah.
https://www.thenationalnews.co