UAE Minister of Economy to lead high-level biz delegation to India this week

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal signs the CEPA. The UAE delegation was led by Minister of Economy, Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri and Minister of State for Foreign Trade Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi. (PC-PIB)

United Arab Emirates' Minister of Economy Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri will be leading a high-level business delegation to India this week to discuss ways to further promote trade and investments between the two countries, an official said.

The visit, from May 11-15, assumes significance as both the countries have implemented the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) on May 1. UAE's minister for small and medium enterprises is also part of the delegation.

"It will be an important visit as we have implemented the free trade pact," the official said. The CEPA is expected to boost bilateral trade to USD 100 billion in the next five years from USD 60 billion at present.

Under the trade agreement, domestic exporters in various sectors like textiles, agriculture, dry fruits, gems and jewellery are availing duty-free access to the UAE market. The delegation would visit Delhi and Mumbai and will hold discussions with industry leaders.

The nearly 70-member delegation represents different sectors such as food, special economic zones, sovereign wealth funds, and aviation. The UAE is one of the largest trading partners of India and that country is a gateway to the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa.

Overall, India will benefit from preferential market access provided by the UAE on over 97 percent of its tariff lines (or goods), which account for 99 percent of Indian exports to the UAE in value terms — particularly from labour-intensive sectors such as textiles, leather, footwear, sports goods, plastics, furniture, and engineering products.