The United Arab Emirates and Australia enjoy a dynamic and expanding economic partnership, underpinned by broad cooperation in trade, investment, innovation, transport, aviation, and close collaboration between the public and private sectors. Established in 2017, the UAE–Australia Joint Economic Committee serves as the principal platform for advancing bilateral trade, investment, and private-sector cooperation. It also functions as the high-level mechanism for overseeing the implementation of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and the Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement, both of which entered into force on October 1, 2025. These landmark agreements are Australia's first trade agreements with a Middle Eastern country and the fastest trade agreement negotiated by Australia, creating a comprehensive framework to liberalize trade in goods and services and promote two-way investment.
Even prior to the entry into force of the CEPA, the UAE was Australia's largest trade and investment partner in the Middle East. Under the Agreement, the UAE eliminated tariffs on more than 99 percent of Australian exports, contributing to a 36.6 percent increase in Australia's non-oil exports to the UAE, which reached USD 4.6 billion. Key Australian exports include alumina, meat, dairy products, oilseeds, seafood, steel, and higher education services. During the same period, the UAE's non-oil exports to Australia increased by 63.3 percent to USD 844.3 million, led by fertilizers and industrial and precious metals. Overall, bilateral non-oil trade grew from USD 4.2 billion in 2024 to USD 5.8 billion in 2025, representing an increase of 37.8 percent. Australian exports are also projected to increase by approximately AUD 678 million annually under the Agreement.
Investment ties continue to strengthen. Between 2021 and 2025, UAE investment in Australia reached USD 648.8 million, while Australian investment in the UAE totaled USD 597.2 million. The UAE also welcomed more than 330,000 Australian visitors in 2025, while Emirates and Etihad Airways currently operate 76 weekly flights between the two countries, further strengthening connectivity and supporting business and tourism.
The UAE offers Australian businesses a competitive gateway to regional and global markets, with approximately 300 Australian companies operating across a wide range of sectors. Among the leading Australian companies with a presence in the UAE are Barrenjoey and Chemist Warehouse.
UAE companies also play a significant role in Australia's economy. DP World operates container terminals at four major Australian ports and has announced a AUD 400 million joint investment to expand the rail terminal at Port Botany. Its operations contribute approximately AUD 6.4 billion to Australia's GDP and support more than 23,000 jobs. dnata is Australia's only fully integrated aviation services provider, operating across seven airports, while Emirates and Etihad Airways continue to strengthen air connectivity between the two countries. In addition, Tadweer Group, in partnership with Tribe Infrastructure Group, is developing the Parkes Energy Recovery Facility in New South Wales, with an expected investment of AUD 1.5 billion, representing the first direct investment project resulting from the UAE–Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.
