The United Arab Emirates and the State of Kuwait continue to strengthen their economic partnership, with non-oil trade reaching AED 54.5 billion (USD 14.8 billion) in 2025, reflecting 9.1 percent annual growth compared to 2024.
The announcement was made by Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade, during his address at the Emirati–Kuwaiti Economic Forum held in Dubai as part of the “UAE and Kuwait… Brothers Forever” week.
Al Zeyoudi revealed that mutual investments exceeded USD 10 billion by the end of 2024, with more than 60 percent originating from the UAE and directed into Kuwait. He stressed that bilateral economic relations are gaining strength through shared visions, deep-rooted ties, and sustained cooperation.
Highlighting the historical depth of the relationship, Al Zeyoudi said cooperation between the two nations is recorded “in letters of light in the books of history.” He noted that even before the establishment of the UAE, Kuwaiti merchants were among the earliest investors and traders in the Emirates, with many settling in Dubai’s Murshid Market during the 1940s and 1950s. The market was named after prominent Kuwaiti trader Murshid Al-Osaimi.
He recalled that Kuwaiti traders played a major role in timber, pearl, and re-export trade, and that Al-Osaimi himself founded Dubai’s first cinema nearly 70 years ago. Beyond commerce, these traders helped transfer ideas, knowledge, and mutual trust between the two societies.
Al Zeyoudi emphasized that the sea formed the strongest historical bond between the UAE and Kuwait. In the pre-oil era, both economies relied on pearl diving and maritime trade, with merchant dhows operating across a connected network linking the Gulf, India, and East Africa. Kuwaiti traders, known for their organizational strength, made extensive use of UAE ports such as Dubai and Sharjah within an integrated regional trading system.
He underlined that the enduring brotherhood between the two countries goes beyond trade figures and investment flows. It reflects a legacy of pioneering merchants, shared maritime routes, and trust that evolved into institutions, forming a distinctive Gulf model of integration.
Al Zeyoudi added that the timing of the UAE–Kuwait Economic Forum reflects unprecedented momentum in bilateral relations, driven by the shared determination of both leaderships to elevate cooperation to broader strategic levels, with trade and investment at its core.
The forum aims to deepen economic, trade, and investment ties, highlight historical bonds, explore opportunities across key sectors, and exchange perspectives on regional and global economic developments, opening new avenues for cooperation between the two brotherly nations.
