The United Arab Emirates (UAE) was a top market where Türkiye achieved the highest export increase in February compared to the same period last year, according to a report on Wednesday, indicating that shipments to the country came in at close to $600 million.
This made the UAE the eighth on the list of the countries to which Türkiye exported the most last month, respectively.
Exports surged by $268.8 million to $599.6 million, according to data compiled by the Anadolu Agency (AA) from the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM).
In terms of export growth, the UAE was followed by Jordan with $91.9 million, Greece with $73.2 million, Spain with $69 million and Slovakia with $56.5 million.
Türkiye and the UAE intensified diplomatic efforts to rebuild links and trade and sought to ramp up cooperation in various industries, particularly in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also visited Abu Dhabi in the summer of 2023, when at least a dozen agreements encompassing collaboration in several fields were signed.
The signing of strategic agreements by Turkish defense industry companies at the International Defense Exhibition and Conference (IDEX 2025) held in Abu Dhabi last month also contributed to both diplomatic and commercial relations between the two countries.
Following the rapprochement between nations, momentum was built in defense cooperation, witnessed in mutual agreements and visits by firms to respective fairs in both Türkiye and Emirati.
Meanwhile, the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), aimed to enhance trade and business opportunities, was signed between Türkiye and the UAE and entered into force in late 2023.
When looked at by sector, the jewelry sector took the crown, making the most exports to the UAE with $411.7 million in February, the data showed. It was followed by chemicals and related products with $25.6 million, electrical and electronics with $17.4 million, grains, pulses, oilseeds and its products with $15.4 million, and ships, yachts and services with $14.2 million.
Moreover, over a third of the total exports in the month were made from Istanbul, with $208.2 million, according to the data.
"The UAE offers great opportunities for Turkish investors in many areas such as energy, renewable energy, infrastructure, logistics, finance, tourism, health, IT, and digital industries," commented Mehmet Ali Akarca, the president of Türkiye-UAE Business Council at Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK).
"In particular, there are $200 billion investment plans within the framework of the 'Abu Dhabi 2030 Plan,' and a significant portion of these investments will be in non-oil sectors. This creates a great opportunity for Turkish investors," he told AA.
Mentioning that the energy and renewable energy sector are at the top of the UAE's strategic goals, Akarca said that the country has made major investments in renewable energy projects, especially solar energy, in addition to traditional energy sources.
He also stated that Turkish companies can play an active role in the UAE's growing market in this field and contribute to environmentally friendly energy projects.
"The infrastructure sector is also an important area for the UAE, and many new projects are being implemented in the fields of construction, engineering and infrastructure technologies, especially within the framework of the 'Abu Dhabi 2030 Plan.' These projects offer wide opportunities for the participation of Turkish companies," he explained.
He also touched upon the potential in the field of digital transformation in areas such as smart city projects, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity, where he said the UAE offers a rapidly developing market.
"Turkish technology companies can evaluate these opportunities in areas such as software development, digital transformation projects and data centers," Akarca suggested.
He also emphasized that while the jewelry sector is one of the prominent areas in exports to the UAE, technology, machinery and equipment, food, construction materials, defense industry, automotive, pharmaceuticals, durable consumer goods and chemical sectors also have great potential.
Referring to the foreign direct investments (FDI) to Türkiye, Akarca cited that the UAE stood in the second position among the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) since 2020.
"GCC countries have accounted for 7.1% of FDI made to Türkiye since 2020. During this period, the UAE made the second-highest direct foreign investment to Türkiye among the GCC countries," he said, concluding that as the council, they continue their meetings and work to strengthen relations.
"We organize business development meetings, especially in the IT, health care, energy and food sectors. In addition, within the scope of high-level visits, we aim to advance further bilateral relations with business forums, roundtable meetings, B2B and B2C meetings with the business world and the public," he said.
