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UAE-EU free trade talks advancing rapidly, UAE state minister says
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on December 11, 2025
Last updated: January 7, 2026
Global Banking and Finance Review
Company
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on December 11, 2025
Last updated: January 7, 2026
ABU DHABI, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Free trade talks between the United Arab Emirates and the European Union are advancing rapidly, UAE state minister Lana Nusseibeh said on Thursday at a briefing with an EU commissioner.
The EU and the UAE launched the talks earlier this year, focusing on trade in goods, services, investment and deepening cooperation in strategic sectors, including renewable energy, green hydrogen and critical raw materials, the EU said in April.
The fourth round of talks is scheduled to take place in the UAE this week and a fifth round is scheduled for early next year, according to Nusseibeh.
"We're having very productive conversations," she said.
The EU is the UAE's second-largest trading partner, accounting for 8.3% of UAE's total non-oil trade.
The wealthy Gulf state is also the EU’s largest export destination and investment partner in the Middle East and North Africa, according to the UAE state news agency.
(Reporting by Youssef Saba; Writing by Ahmed ELimam, Editing by Sharon Singleton)
Strategic sectors are industries deemed crucial for a country's economic growth and security, often including areas like renewable energy, technology, and infrastructure.
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