The United Arab Emirates and Japan have successfully concluded negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), marking Japan’s first such deal with an Arab country and aimed at strengthening trade and investment relations between the two economies.
The CEPA is expected to deepen economic cooperation and expand private-sector partnerships across several priority sectors, including advanced technology, logistics, cybersecurity, healthcare, education, energy security and financial services.
Officials said the agreement will help remove trade barriers, facilitate investment flows and strengthen collaboration in areas such as research and development, innovation, digital transformation and smart mobility.
The deal comes as bilateral trade between the two countries continues to expand. Non-oil trade between the UAE and Japan reached USD 20.3 bln in 2025, rising 16.7pct YoY, with the UAE accounting for about 39pct of Japan’s trade with the Middle East and Africa.
The CEPA forms part of the UAE’s broader strategy to expand global trade partnerships and strengthen economic ties with key international markets.
