UAE-Russia trade and investment agreement comes into force

Agreement activation aims to boost services trade and investment

A trade and investment pact between the United Arab Emirates and Russia has officially come into force, a year after it was signed. The trade in services and investment agreement (Tisia) inked on August 8 last year in Moscow during President Sheikh Mohameds visit to Russia is designed to deepen economic ties by setting clearer rules and protections for services trade and cross-border investment.

The UAEs Ministry of Foreign Trade said the treaty will reduce barriers to market entry, facilitate the movement of professionals and create a more predictable operating environment for businesses active in both markets. The agreement targets high-growth sectors including FinTech, healthcare, transport, logistics and professional services.

Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade, described the Tisias entry into force as part of a broader activation of trade ties in the region. He said the activation of the UAE-Russia agreement alongside the UAEs economic partnership with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) represents the full activation of a comprehensive trade and investment framework that will unlock significant opportunities for businesses and investors in both nations.

Trade context and wider UAE trade strategy

Russia is already a major economic partner for the Emirates. Bilateral non-oil trade between the UAE and Russia reached $20.4 billion last year a 77.7 per cent increase compared with 2024, according to the ministry.

The Tisia complements the UAEs wider foreign trade drive. The country has set an ambition to lift non-oil trade to $1.1 trillion by 2031 and has been investing in trade and logistics infrastructure, including modern seaports and airports, to attract foreign investment. The UAEs non-oil foreign trade surged 26 per cent in 2025 to exceed $1 trillion for the first time; non-oil exports rose 45 per cent to $221 billion that year.

Since September 2021 the UAE has pursued an active trade-opening programme through Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (Cepas). The government has concluded 38 Cepas with partner countries; 18 are currently in force. The most recent Cepa to enter into force was with Ukraine on July 1, under which 99 per cent of Ukrainian imports of UAE goods and 97 per cent of Ukrainian exports to the Emirates will be exempt from customs duties immediately. That Ukraine deal is estimated to add $369 million to the UAEs GDP and $874 million to Ukraines by 2031.

Last month the UAE finalised a Cepa with Canada, and the country expects to conclude further agreements this year with Bangladesh, the EU, Peru, Ghana, Rwanda and Zambia.

The EAEU partnership that Dr Al Zeyoudi referenced covers regional trade in goods. The Eurasian Economic Union comprises Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan, with a combined GDP of nearly $5 trillion, and the UAEs agreement with the bloc complements the bilateral framework with Russia by extending regional market access.

Taken together, the Tisia, the EAEU economic partnership and the UAEs Cepa programme aim to reduce tariffs, simplify customs procedures and remove trade bottlenecks measures intended to make it easier and more attractive for firms to operate across borders and to facilitate investment flows between the Emirates and partner markets.

The activation of the UAE-Russia Tisia is a clear example of how the UAE is broadening its trade relationships beyond hydrocarbons and positioning itself as a global trade and services hub for the coming decade.