The United Arab Emirates and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations did a lot of trade. It was worth seventy billion dollars in the year 2025. To be exact, that is the same as Dh257 billion. It shows how economic ties are growing quickly. These ties are going beyond areas like trade and tourism. The partnership is now more focused on energy. It is also focused on technology. Food security is another area of focus. Connectivity is another area of focus. Both sides want to have economic cooperation.
The latest numbers were shared as ASEAN celebrated its anniversary on August 8. The group’s relationship with the UAE has become a wider institutional and economic partnership. ASEAN now has partnerships with 27 countries. It also has partnerships with 11 organisations. These include the UAE and the Gulf Cooperation Council.
The UAE’s engagement with ASEAN has strengthened considerably over the past decade. Abu Dhabi appointed its first accredited ambassador to ASEAN in 2010, before becoming a Sectoral Dialogue Partner in 2022. The UAE also signed the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, establishing a framework centred on sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-interference.
Cooperation accelerated further through the Practical Cooperation Areas 2024-2028, which set priorities spanning political-security, economic and socio-cultural areas. The framework includes maritime cooperation, food security, humanitarian assistance and connectivity.
Investment is also becoming a major component of the relationship. UAE foreign direct investment stock into ASEAN stands at $245.7 billion, while more than 368,969 visitors from the UAE travelled to the Southeast Asian region last year. The figures point to increasingly broad commercial and people-to-people links between the two regions.
The relationship is also moving into emerging industries. UAE investment in floating solar projects and clean-energy initiatives is supporting ASEAN’s energy transition, while cooperation in data centres and semiconductors could connect Emirati capital and artificial intelligence ambitions with Southeast Asia’s manufacturing capabilities.
The partnership reflects a wider push to diversify economic relationships and build resilient supply chains. With ASEAN’s Community Vision 2045 providing a long-term framework, UAE-ASEAN cooperation is increasingly positioned around technology, sustainability and strategic economic integration rather than hydrocarbons and tourism alone.
