The UAE and Nepal have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral trade and investment cooperation during the UAE Trade Days initiative in Kathmandu.
Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade, met Nepal’s President Ram Chandra Paudel at Rashtrapati Bhavan, attended by Abdullah bin Jarwan Al Shamsi, UAE Ambassador to Nepal.
Al Zeyoudi conveyed the greetings of the UAE leadership to President Paudel and extended their congratulations on his assumption of office, along with their best wishes for Nepal’s continued progress and prosperity.
President Paudel expressed Nepal’s commitment to strengthening bilateral ties and expanding cooperation in areas of mutual interest, particularly trade and investment.
As part of the visit, Al Zeyoudi held separate meetings with Dol Prasad Aryal, Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Federal Parliament; Shisir Khanal, Minister for Foreign Affairs; Dr. Swarnim Wagle, Minister for Finance; Gauri Kumari, Minister for Industry, Commerce, and Supplies; Sudan Gurung, Minister of Home Affairs; Asim Shah, Advisor to the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers; and Chandra Prasad Dhakal, businessman and former President of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce.
The discussions focused on identifying practical opportunities to increase trade and investment flows and deepen private-sector partnerships between the two countries.
Al Zeyoudi emphasized that Nepal offers significant commercial potential and reaffirmed the UAE’s interest in expanding cooperation in hydropower, tourism, agro-processing, and technology. Stronger trade, investment, and people-to-people ties would support sustainable economic growth and create new opportunities for businesses in both countries.
The minister also participated in a business roundtable that brought together UAE and Nepali business leaders to discuss investment opportunities in hydropower, tourism infrastructure, agro-processing, information technology, and large-scale infrastructure development.
Participants also highlighted the importance of improved air connectivity in supporting trade, tourism, and business travel.
Image Credits: WAM | Cropped by GBN
UAE-Nepal trade relations
The UAE’s non-oil foreign trade with Nepal reached $438.4 million in 2025, marking a 90.1 percent year-on-year increase.
Nepal’s non-oil exports to the UAE rose 109.4 percent to $348.6 million, while the UAE’s re-exports to Nepal increased 44 percent to $84.6 million. The figures build on a trade relationship that reached $480 million in 2021, showing the potential for further growth.
The Nepal visit forms part of the UAE’s strategy to diversify its global trade partnerships and strengthen economic engagement with high-growth markets across South Asia.
The UAE and Nepal expressed their shared commitment to deepening long-term economic cooperation, as the UAE continued to pursue its goal of expanding non-oil foreign trade to US$1.1 trillion by 2031.
