UAE Participates in 14th WTO Ministerial Conference in Yaoundé, Cameroon
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) actively participated in the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), held in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon. The UAE delegation was led by Fahad Al Gergawi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Trade, and included officials from the Ministry of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates, and the UAE’s representation to the World Trade Organisation in Geneva.
At the conference, Fahad Al Gergawi highlighted the risks posed by restrictive trade measures, noting that such policies threaten to fragment the global economy, weaken economic growth, and raise inflationary pressures and unemployment rates. He underscored the UAE’s efforts to mobilise international support to uphold international trade flows and boost the resilience of the global economy amidst ongoing global challenges.
According to Fahad Al Gergawi, “The UAE’s participation at MC14 comes at the backdrop of profound transformations and unprecedented challenges facing the global trading system. With the risks associated with trade wars and tariffs increasing, and barriers to the flow of goods reappearing, the UAE remains steadfast in its commitment to safeguarding the benefits of open, rules-based trade. Our participation in Cameroon reflects the UAE’s status as a key player in international trade and our desire to build consensus around pro-trade, anti-protectionist measures.”
He further stated that the UAE’s openness to the world and full integration into global supply chains could serve as a model for other countries, especially given the nation’s record trade growth. In 2025, the UAE’s non-oil foreign trade reached AED3.8 trillion (US$1.03 trillion), a 27 percent growth over 2024. This surge was driven by a substantial rise in non-oil exports and facilitated by the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPAs) programme, which gives UAE exporters seamless access to one quarter of the world’s population.
During MC14, the UAE delegation took the opportunity to strengthen partnerships and discover new prospects for trade cooperation with African countries. The delegation also held a series of bilateral meetings with representatives from Austria, the Bahamas, New Zealand, Peru, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and others.
The Ministerial Conference is the highest decision-making body in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and convenes trade ministers and senior officials from the 166 member states. The 14th edition holds particular significance as it is only the second time the conference is hosted by an African country, following the 10th Conference in Nairobi, Kenya in 2015, underscoring the continent’s growing influence in the multilateral trading system.
Team V.4-EM-UAE
