Page 366 - MOE ENGLISH PR REPORT - MAY 2025 (Part 1)_Neat

5/30/25, 3:34 PM Thani Al Zeyoudi participates in inaugural ASEAN-GCC-China Economic Forum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Al Zeyoudi underscored how greater collaboration across Asia can accelerate

growth, drive innovation and consolidate the region's rise a global economic power.

He also reaffirmed the UAE's commitment to building strong trade and investment

partnerships across the world and that the future-focused nations of Asia were

natural partners in these efforts.

Leaders and business representatives from 17 nations gathered in the Malaysian

capital to exchange views on how they work together to navigate today's complex

economic and geopolitical landscape.

Al Zeyoudi said the Forum offered the chance for attending nations to align their

economic visions to achieve strong growth: "By deepening our connections and

exploring avenues of mutual interest, the GCC, China and ASEAN bloc can not

only maintain our own upward growth trajectories but become the driving force of

the global economy. Our foreign trade policy has been designed to bring our

economy closer to the markets of Asia and together we can increase the flow of

goods and services between us, support vital infrastructure projects, share

knowledge, and accelerate innovation. This forum has underlined the depth of this

potential - and created the platform to help the nations of our high-growth regions

realize it."

The UAE enjoys positive trade and investment ties with nations across Asia,

including the ASEAN bloc. The UAE has concluded Comprehensive Economic

Partnership Agreements (CEPAs) with Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam and

Malaysia, helping to propel the UAE's non-oil foreign trade with ASEAN countries

to US$37.7 billion in 2024, a growth of 4.2% compared to 2023 and 16.8% more

than in 2022. ASEAN countries accounted for 4.6% of the UAE's total non-oil trade

with the world in 2024, and 11.3% of the UAE's trade with non-Arab Asian

countries.

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