Page 540 - MOE ENGLISH PR REPORT - OCTOBER 2024

10/23/24, 9:50 AM UAE, Malaysia conclude CEPA talks as bilateral non-oil trade exceeds $2.5 billion in H1 2024
“Malaysia is a long-standing and trusted trade partner that, like the UAE, is seeking to enhance its
economic prospects through increased trade and targeted investment,” he added.
Al Zeyoudi added that Malaysia is the fourth-largest economy in Southeast Asia. The country offers
substantial opportunities for UAE exporters, industrialists, and business leaders, especially in high-
growth sectors such as energy, logistics, manufacturing, and financial services.
Greater access for Malaysian exporters
For his part, Aziz said: “As Malaysia’s first, historic free-trade agreement with a GCC nation, I am
confident the CEPA will enhance trade, boost investments, and deepen the Malaysia-UAE economic
ties.”
The UAE is a strategic hub for Malaysian exporters, facilitating access to markets in the Middle
East, North Africa, and Europe.
“The CEPA is also a strategic lever for UAE-based companies to optimize Malaysia as a gateway
into the ASEAN market, which in turn will provide tremendous opportunities for our businesses –
particularly the SMEs – through integration into regional supply chains, capacity-building and
knowledge sharing via the UAE investors,” he added.
Read: UAE, New Zealand sign CEPA agreement to reduce tariffs, enhance trade and
investment flows
UAE-ASEAN bloc trade ties
The UAE’s CEPA program aims to increase the country’s non-oil foreign trade to AED4 trillion by
expanding relations with strategically important markets around the world.
The program has strengthened the UAE’s ties with the ASEAN bloc, with the Indonesia and
Cambodia CEPAs now in operation, each helping to accelerate bilateral trade.
For more news on logistics, click here.

https://economymiddleeast.com/news/uae-malaysia-conclude-cepa-talks-as-bilateral-non-oil-trade-exceeds-2-5-billion-in-h1-2024/ 2/2