Page 416 - MOE ENGLISH PR - APRIL 2024

4/29/24, 3:55 PM Thani Al Zeyoudi holds talks with Estonia’s Minister of Economic Affairs and ICT to strengthen bilateral trade ties
The discussions centred on identifying sectors of particular promise, with a focus on
increased collaboration in digitisation, advanced technologies, AI and health-tech.

In 2023, bilateral trade between the UAE and Estonia increased by 76.2 percent, reaching

a total value of $176.3 million compared to $100.1 million in 2022.

The meeting between Al Zeyoudi and Riisalo provided an opportunity to discuss how to

build on this momentum and reaffirm both nations’ commitment to stronger, deeper

economic ties and to open, rules-based trade. Both parties expressed their satisfaction
with the bilateral trade volumes and pledged to explore new avenues for collaboration to

capitalize on the growing interest in each other’s markets.

Key areas of discussion included exploring opportunities for diversification of trade
products and sectors, enhancing trade facilitation measures, and fostering closer

cooperation, not only in advanced technology but also food security and sustainable
development.

Al Zeyoudi stated, “Estonia is an EU country with significant potential for the UAE, with an

economy projected to return to robust growth in the coming years. This is reflected in
increasing bilateral trade flows in 2023, and we see many mutually beneficial opportunities

to expand on these numbers and establish wider collaboration in areas such as AI, digital
healthcare and food security. The UAE is committed to providing a conducive business

environment to facilitate trade opportunities for Estonian businesses seeking to leverage

the UAE’s connectivity and logistics infrastructure to expand to markets in the Arab world,
Asia and Africa. We believe we can support each other’s economic ambitions in the years

ahead.”

Riisalo expressed his appreciation for the UAE's efforts in promoting bilateral trade and
welcomed the opportunity to deepen cooperation between the two nations. He

emphasised Estonia's strengths in areas such as digital innovation, e-commerce, and
clean technology, which present promising avenues for collaboration with the UAE.

The meeting concluded with both parties expressing optimism about the future of bilateral

trade relations and agreeing to work closely together to unlock new opportunities for
economic growth and prosperity.

https://www.zawya.com/en/economy/gcc/thani-al-zeyoudi-holds-talks-with-estonias-minister-of-economic-affairs-and-ict-to-strengthen-bilateral-trade-h… 2/3