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UAE, Azerbaijan seal partnership as non-oil trade grows

Jul 11, 2025, 7:50am EDT
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UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed with Ilham Aliyev, president of Azerbaijan. Hamad Al Kaabi/UAE Presidential Court/Handout via Reuters.

Bilateral non-oil trade between Azerbaijan and the UAE increased 43% in 2024 compared to a year earlier.

The two countries signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) this week during a state visit by Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliyev, aiming to boost trade beyond the $2.4 billion reached last year.

The UAE now has 27 CEPA deals in place. These agreements — considered a notch below a free trade pact — align with the UAE’s goal of increasing non-oil trade to $1.1 trillion annually by 2031, a target Abu Dhabi expects to reach nearly four years ahead of schedule.

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