Русский
The Free Trade Agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) member states and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is to take effect on October 6, 2026, according to the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) Trade Minister Andrei Slepnev.
Speaking at a meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council, he said that “We have exchanged notes with the UAE side. Consequently, we have completed all procedures related to the ratification and entry into force of the free trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates, and the date for its entry into force has been set on October 6, 2026.”
The Free Trade Agreement between the EAEU and the UAE was signed in Minsk on June 27, 2025, and has since undergone ratification procedures. The document stipulates the fundamental rules of trade, consistent with World Trade Organization standards, between the EAEU and its member states, on the one hand, and the UAE, on the other, and envisions additional trade liberalization for over 85% of goods. The preferential access, provided for by the tariff commitments of the parties to the agreement, covers over 95% of bilateral trade between Russia and the UAE.
The agreement defines conditions to develop and enhance trade and economic cooperation between the EAEU and the UAE in areas of mutual interest. These areas include customs cooperation, e-commerce, technical barriers to trade, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, intellectual property rights, and government procurement.
The agreement also provides for the establishment of cooperation in various sectors, including transport and logistics, competition, tourism, research and innovation, the extraction, processing and use of minerals, trade in environmentally friendly goods, and the convergence of standards for halal products.
Current UAE/Eurasian Economic Union Trade
The UAE’s current trade with the Eurasian Economic Union member nations is as follows:
| Country | Imports (US$) | Exports (US$) | Commodities |
| Armenia | 6.8 billion | 80 million | Electronics, Machinery, Precious Gems |
| Belarus | 76 million | 371 million | Electronics, Vehicles, Gold |
| Kazakhstan | 404 million | 5.2 billion | Copper, Oil, Zinc, Precious Gems |
| Kyrgyzstan | 110 million | 63 million | Gold, Machinery, Electronics |
| Russia | 10 billion | 4.43 billion | Machinery, Vehicles, Electronics |
Total UAE exports to the EAEU: US$11.43 billion
Total UAE imports from the EAEU: US$18.07 billion
Total UAE/EAEU Trade Volume: US$29.5 billion
The UAE – Eurasian Economic Union Trade Potential
The UAE’s trade with the EAEU member states has been on a positive growth trajectory the past three years. For example, trade with Russia, the EAEU’s largest economy, reached a record high in 2025, and has grown by about 50% over the past three years. Russia and the UAE have targeted an additional 40% increase in trade volumes by 2030, with broader estimates projecting bilateral non-oil and overall trade to double to reach about US$28 billion in this timeframe.
Of note to the UAE especially are the Muslim consumer markets in Russia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, being a combined market of 53.5 million. The Halal portion of the Free Trade Agreement to service this market therefore shows great potential.
While the UAE currently faces some problems due to the issues with Iran and the United States, it is also worth noting that it is not an energy-driven economy and instead is highly involved in electronics and jewellery industries. Although Iran is the traditional export transit route, the UAE can also export via transit corridors through Saudi Arabia and Iraq. This suggests that the current military actions taking place in southern Iran should not be too detrimental to the development of the UAE’s imports and exports.
Illustrating this, we commented on the development of Russia-Saudi Arabian logistics connectivity development here and noted FESCO’s shipping capacity to Saudi Arabia and the UAE increased by 20% last year here.
It should also be noted that the previous EAEU Free Trade Agreement was with Iran, in 2024, and resulted in an immediate 30% increase in trade the following year. If the Russian intent to increase bilateral trade and the Iranian experience are duplicated, UAE-EAEU trade could reach close to US$50 billion in the next four years.
