DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A new economic deal between the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates is opening doors—and giving Filipino products a real shot at the global stage.
The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), signed earlier this month, is expected to help Filipino goods compete in the mainstream UAE market. With tariffs reduced or removed, import costs drop—making Philippine products more affordable, more competitive, and more visible.
For Filipino exporters, this could be a game changer.
Speaking at a private-sector food industry event last Thursday, Philippine Ambassador to the UAE Alfonso Ver delivered a clear message to business leaders:
“We can build momentum. We provide the platform—you take advantage of it.”
According to Ver, the agreement could boost UAE imports by as much as 9 percent, while giving Filipino manufacturers an edge over other suppliers.
“It’s your product that will compete,” he said.
“The CEPA is an arsenal. It’s up to you to use it.”
At the Stakeholders Recognition Day and Gala Night 2026, hosted by the Prime Group, the message was one of opportunity—and urgency.
Trade figures show why.
In 2024, Philippine exports to the UAE reached $648.62 million, based on data from the United Nations Comtrade database. And with the UAE serving as a major logistics and distribution hub, the impact of CEPA could stretch far beyond one country.
The agreement has the potential to place Filipino products on shelves across all six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations—Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the UAE. Even traders from Africa regularly source goods from the UAE, expanding the reach even further.
From fruits, nuts, cereals, meat, and fish, to electronics, precious stones, and vehicles, Philippine exports already have a foothold. CEPA aims to help them go further—and faster.
The agreement was signed on the sidelines of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2026, in a ceremony witnessed by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who was on a working visit at the time, expressed strong optimism about the deal. He said CEPA would deepen ties between the two nations—boosting trade, investment, and people-to-people connections.
In his speech, Marcos paid tribute to the Filipino community in the UAE.
Today, more than one million Filipinos live and work in the country—one of the largest Filipino populations in the Middle East. According to the President, Filipinos have been contributing to the UAE’s growth since its early years in 1971.
Now, with CEPA in place, that partnership enters a new chapter.
One built on opportunity.
On trust.
And on Filipino products ready to take on the world.
