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UAE Minister of Foreign Trade Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi announced on October 25 that the newly signed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with Benin is forecast to expand Emirati exports to the country by more than $1 billion by 2033. The pact, witnessed by President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Benin President Romuald Wadagni in Abu Dhabi, also projects an increase of more than $100 million in Benin exports to the UAE over the same period. According to a statement Al Zeyoudi gave to the Emirates News Agency, the agreement delivers high levels of trade liberalisation covering about 97 percent of current bilateral flows together with the removal or reduction of a substantial share of customs tariffs.
Bilateral non-oil trade between the two countries reached $2.15 billion in 2025, a 65 percent rise from the prior year and more than double the $1.01 billion recorded in 2021, a WAM report citing ministry data showed. Momentum carried into the first half of 2026 when trade climbed to $1.29 billion, up 37.4 percent year on year. The minister highlighted Benin’s economic expansion, which exceeded 7.5 percent growth last year, as evidence of the significant openings available to UAE private-sector firms.
Benin’s principal exports to the UAE include cotton, selected nuts, soybeans and various food products that can also be re-exported through Emirati hubs to global markets, Al Zeyoudi stated. In return the Beninese market imports equipment, electronics, devices and spare parts that support industrial and infrastructure development. UAE companies already maintain a presence in Benin through investments in garment factories that draw on the country’s abundant cotton supply, the minister added.
The deal was signed by Al Zeyoudi and Benin’s Minister of Tourism and Foreign Trade Olushegun Adjadi Bakari. It forms part of the UAE’s wider strategy that has produced 37 such CEPAs to date, 18 of which are now in force, according to government tallies. Once ratified the agreement will eliminate unnecessary trade barriers and enhance market access for service providers and investors from both sides.
Al Zeyoudi pointed to fresh cooperation in renewable energy sealed during a roundtable on the day of signing as an early example of expanded sectoral ties. He further noted that Benin can serve as a gateway for UAE businesses into the broader West African region, home to roughly 400 million consumers. The minister congratulated the leadership and business communities of both nations on completing negotiations in record time.
Sheikh Mohamed described the CEPA as a significant milestone that reflects shared ambitions for long-term development, new business opportunities, economic resilience and regional prosperity, a WAM dispatch reported. Benin, Africa’s largest cotton producer with annual output surpassing one million tons, also harbours ambitions in textiles, cashew, shea and fruit exports that could find expanded Gulf outlets via the UAE. The pact opens avenues across logistics, technology, food processing and infrastructure while reinforcing the UAE’s role as a global trade connector.
