HE Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi discusses economic alignment with President Nguema of Gabon during visit to Libreville

• The UAE and Gabon shared non-oil trade worth US$320.7 million in 2025
• HE Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi: “The visit to Gabon builds on the progress achieved in our bilateral economic partnership and reflects our shared focus on expanding trade and investment ties”

Libreville – 17 February 2026: His Excellency Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade, has met His Excellency Brice Oligui Nguema, President of the Republic of Gabon, to discuss deepening economic cooperation during an official visit to the country. Leading a high-level business delegation to the capital Libreville, His Excellency Al Zeyoudi also held talks with senior Gabonese officials with a view to identifying trade and investment opportunities and facilitating greater private-sector collaboration.    

His Excellency’s visit follows the signing earlier this month of the UAE-Gabon Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which aims to accelerate non-oil trade by reducing tariffs, removing barriers to trade and improving market access for services. The CEPA is also expected to enhance investment flows and create new opportunities for SMEs. In 2025, bilateral non-oil trade reached US$320.7 million, which is more than double the level recorded in 2021 and underlines the positive momentum the two sides have enjoyed in recent years.

As part of the visit to Gabon, the delegation met with various Gabonese government Ministers, including Thierry Minko, Minister of Economy; Sosthène Nguema, Minister of Mines and Geological Resources; Clotaire Kondja, Minister of Petroleum and Gas; Philippe Tonangoye, Minister of Energy; Pacôme Kossy, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development; Elsa Bivigou, Minister of Health and Arthur Lemami, Director of the President’s cabinet.

HE Al Zeyoudi said: “The visit to Gabon builds on the progress achieved in our bilateral economic partnership and reflects our shared focus on expanding trade and investment ties. We are strengthening cooperation across priority sectors and reinforcing commercial ties between our two nations. As we have shown with the signing of a CEPA, the UAE is committed to deepening this partnership and advancing long-term collaboration with Gabon.”

The discussions highlighted opportunities to advance cooperation in priority sectors such as agriculture, logistics, renewable energy and digital commerce, in line with the UAE’s wider economic diversification strategy and its growing engagement with African markets. Through ongoing collaboration, the UAE aims to reinforce long-term economic connectivity with key partners such as Gabon.

The visit concluded with both sides reaffirming their commitment to strengthening bilateral economic cooperation and translating shared priorities into measurable outcomes.

The delegation included representatives from key UAE industries, underscoring commercial interest in Gabon across priority sectors. They included agriculture, mining, oil and gas, defense, energy, aviation, health, marine transport and logistics. The visit is part of the UAE’s broader strategy to expand its economic presence with high-growth African markets and strengthen long-term trade partnerships across the continent.