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Officials at the Kuwait-UAE Economic Forum reported that bilateral trade between the two countries reached $13.6 billion by the end of 2024. Feras Al Salem, president of the Kuwait Business Council in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, added that the volume accelerated to Dh38.8 billion by the third quarter of 2025, a 15 percent year-on-year increase compared with the first half of 2024. Marwa Al Juaidan, Kuwait’s undersecretary at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, presented the figures during the event. UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade Thani Al Zeyoudi described the trade cooperation as the foundation of the countries’ growing relationship, according to a report by The National. The gathering brought together business leaders who stressed closer regulatory alignment amid rising joint investments.
Al Salem told The National that the nations have experienced substantial bilateral cooperation over the past 70 years. “We’ve seen a lot of bilateral co-operation between Kuwait and the UAE over the past 70 years,” he said. “Previous generations laid a very strong foundation, and that is allowing trade today to accelerate at a much faster pace.” He characterised the recent trend as very encouraging for the private sector. Kuwait was among the first states to recognise the UAE, with economic relations dating back to the 1970s, forum participants noted.
A tax treaty signed in 2024 and a direct investment agreement between the Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority and the UAE Ministry of Investment have created a firmer framework for cross-border activity. Al Salem stated that these pacts facilitate a solid ground for financial institutions, investment companies and traders to conduct more business between the two countries. The agreements aim to ease capital flows and expand commercial opportunities. Kuwaiti and Emirati executives at the forum warned that intensifying global competition is testing local businesses even as ties strengthen.
Kuwait has participated in major UAE technology ventures, including a large artificial intelligence and data centre project in Abu Dhabi. The Kuwait Investment Authority joined the AI Infrastructure Partnership with MGX, BlackRock, Global Infrastructure Partners and Microsoft in June 2025 as the first non-founder financial anchor investor, a BlackRock press release stated. The consortium seeks to mobilise $30 billion in equity capital for next-generation data centres and energy solutions. Al Salem pointed to this involvement as evidence of deeper sectoral integration and predicted further mutual investments in specific areas.
UAE Ministry of Foreign Trade data shows non-oil trade between the countries reached AED54.5 billion in full-year 2025, up 9.1 percent from the prior year. Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development statistics place the UAE among the top export partners for Kuwait, reflecting sustained momentum in the corridor. This openness has drawn international companies, including from China, which have expanded their Gulf presence over the past decade on the back of consumer spending and digital trade frameworks. The forum also featured perspectives from younger entrepreneurs such as Ali Al Ebrahim, chief executive of the Kuwaiti coffee company Cofe.
Discussions recalled the Murshid Al Osaimi family, who left Kuwait in 1944 to establish a merchant business in Dubai’s Deira district. Such histories underscore the entrepreneurial foundations that predate the UAE’s formation and continue to shape current relations. Al Salem emphasised that these long-standing links now support faster trade acceleration. Participants at the Dubai event expressed optimism about continued expansion in trade and investment flows.
