Kathmandu: President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal Ram Chandra Paudel received Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade, at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Kathmandu. The meeting was also attended by Abdullah bin Jarwan Al Shamsi, UAE Ambassador to Nepal.
According to Emirates News Agency, Al Zeyoudi began the meeting by conveying greetings from the UAE leadership, including President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan. President Paudel expressed his appreciation for the strong bilateral relations and emphasized the potential to enhance trade and investment between the two nations.
During the visit, as part of 'UAE Trade Days', Al Zeyoudi held discussions with multiple Nepali officials, including Dol Prasad Aryal, Shisir Khanal, Dr. Swarnim Wagle, Gauri Kumari, Sudan Gurung, Asim Shah, and Chandra Prasad Dhakal. The focus was on identifying practical strategies to boost trade and investment flows between the UAE and Nepal.
Al Zeyoudi highlighted Nepal's potential as a significant market, stressing the importance of converting this potential into tangible commercial outcomes. He noted that the UAE is keen on enhancing economic partnerships with Nepal, particularly in sectors like hydropower, tourism, agro-processing, and technology. The aim is to foster long-term prosperity through strengthened trade, investment, and people-to-people connections.
A business roundtable was also organized, where senior UAE and Nepali business leaders explored investment opportunities and discussed strengthening private-sector collaborations. Key areas of interest included hydropower, tourism infrastructure, agro-processing, information technology, and infrastructure development, alongside improving air connectivity to support trade and tourism growth.
The UAE's non-oil foreign trade with Nepal saw significant growth, reaching US$438.4 million in 2025, a 90.1% increase from the previous year. Nepal's non-oil exports to the UAE were valued at US$348.6 million in 2025, while re-exports from the UAE to Nepal amounted to US$84.6 million. This upward trend underscores the potential for a diversified and resilient economic partnership.
This visit underscores the UAE's strategic efforts to expand its global trade partnerships and engage with high-growth markets in South Asia. Both nations are committed to building a structured, forward-looking economic relationship, with the UAE aiming to increase its non-oil foreign trade to US$1.1 trillion by 2031.