The comprehensive economic partnership agreement between the UAE and Jordan will come into effect on Thursday, with the deal expected to boost bilateral trade between the nations to more than $8 billion by 2032.
The UAE's ninth Cepa, initially signed in October, will eliminate or reduce tariffs, remove trade barriers and boost market access, and marks a "new era of collaboration", said Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, in a statement on Wednesday.
It is also expected to enhance regional and global supply chains, "creating a framework for shared growth and prosperity", he added.
Cepas the UAE has already signed with nations from Colombia to Australia have contributed Dh135 billion ($36.8 billion) to the country's non-oil trade, an increase of 42 per cent compared with the previous year, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, said previously.
The UAE's non-oil foreign trade hit a record Dh3 trillion last year − up 14.6 per cent year-on-year − as the country continues to diversify its economy and forges closer trade ties with countries around the world.
The Cepa programme is key for the UAE’s economic growth. The Arab world's second largest economy aims to boost its gross domestic product to $800 billion by 2030, with a target of more than $1.1 trillion in total non-oil trade by 2031.
The Cepa with Jordan follows the signing of agreements between the two countries for a $2.3 billion railway investment project to link the port of Aqaba with the mining regions of Al Shidiya and Ghor es-Safi.
The deals are part of an investment package worth about $5.5 billion that Jordan signed with the UAE during the 2023 state visit of King Abdullah II to Abu Dhabi.
Both the UAE and Jordan share expertise in sectors including energy, infrastructure, transport and finance, Dr Al Zeyoudi said. The Emirates also aims to benefit from Jordan’s robust industrial base, particularly in the phosphate, textiles and pharmaceutical sectors.
"Jordan has long been a valued partner for the UAE and, through this Cepa, we are poised to unlock numerous opportunities that will benefit both nations," the minister said.
Bilateral non-oil trade between the two countries jumped by about 138 per cent in the past decade. The UAE is Jordan’s fifth-largest trading partner globally and remains its largest foreign investor, with mutual investments pegged at about $22.5 billion, according to government data.
Jordan's economy has remained resilient amid regional security risks and a cut in assistance from the US Agency for International Development, resulting in a stable outlook for the aid-reliant economy, ratings agency S&P Global had said in March.
New York-based S&P forecasts Jordan's economic growth at 2.7 per cent in 2025, provided regional security situation stabilises, tourism recovers and trade with Syria and Iraq starts to rise gradually. Tourism alone contributes about 15 per cent to the kingdom's GDP, about three quarters of which comes from Arab visitors, the agency added.
Fitch Ratings, however, expects a lower 2.1 per cent expansion this year, down from 2.2 per cent last year, citing the kingdom's dependence on US exports among Middle East and North African countries, making it the region's most exposed nation to US tariffs.
Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest
Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.
Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.
Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.
Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.
Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.
Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia
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Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
