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6/10/25, 11:41 AM UAE-Serbia trade to accelerate as Cepa comes into effect | The National
UAE-Serbia trade to accelerate as Cepa comes into

effect

The deal is projected to contribute around $351m to the UAE's GDP by 2031

Alvin R Cabral
May 31, 2025

The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between the UAE and Serbia came into force
on Saturday, as the Emirates continues to strengthen its trade relations globally.

The UAE's 10th Cepa is expected to boost trade and investment flows, and remove or significantly
reduce tariffs, which will all lay the foundations for enhanced co-operation across a spectrum of critical
industries, the Ministry of Economy said in a statement on Saturday.

The deal is also leading to projections that bilateral trade between the two nations will contribute
around $351 million to the UAE's gross domestic product by 2031, it added.

The UAE is Serbia’s leading trading partner in the Gulf, accounting for approximately 55 per cent of its

total trade with the region in 2023, according to government data.

The UAE-Serbia Cepa is another "new chapter in our economic relations, creating new avenues for

collaboration, investment and trade that will benefit both our nations", Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, UAE
Minister of State for Foreign Trade, said in the statement.

"Through this agreement we are committed to unlocking significant opportunities that will create jobs,
strengthen supply chains and facilitate a thriving environment for businesses in both countries," he

added.

Cepas that the UAE has already signed with nations from Colombia to Australia have contributed

Dh135 billion ($36.8 billion) to the country's non-oil trade, an increase of 42 per cent compared with
the previous year, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, said previously.

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