The United Arab Emirates may finalize a bilateral trade agreement with Chad by the end of the year, according to the Gulf nation’s Minister of State for Foreign Trade, Thani Al Zeyoudi.
The deal, part of the UAE’s Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPA) framework, aims to strengthen trade, investment, and economic cooperation as part of the country’s broader strategy to diversify beyond oil and drive sustainable long-term growth.
“We are building on a strong bilateral relationship between the UAE and Chad,” Al Zeyoudi said during the UAE–Chad Trade and Investment Forum in Abu Dhabi. “Negotiations have now advanced to market access discussions, and we hope to conclude the agreement before year-end,” he added.
Trade between the two countries currently stands at $1.9 billion, marking growth of more than 30% last year.
During the forum, Chad also launched its national development initiative, “Chad Connection 2030,” which seeks $30 billion in public and private investments. According to Finance Minister Tahir Hamid Nguilin, the investment outlook for achieving this goal is “very promising.”
The UAE is expected to play a major role in Chad’s development plan, particularly in infrastructure, energy, mining, agriculture, agribusiness, logistics, and financial services.
Al Zeyoudi noted that over 39 agreements were signed during the event—18 of them from UAE entities—with a potential total value exceeding $6.2 billion once fully implemented.
He also revealed that CEPA talks with Nigeria are nearing completion, while negotiations with Rwanda are in advanced stages.
Click here for more on Business
