President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. returned to the Philippines on Wednesday after a two-day working visit to the United Arab Emirates, during which the two countries signed a landmark free trade agreement and a defence cooperation pact to strengthen bilateral ties.
Mr. Marcos said the visit focused on building a “future-ready world” through cooperation in key areas such as energy, water, finance, food, and the environment, which he said directly affect Filipinos at home and abroad. He took part in high-level meetings at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, the world’s largest gathering focused on sustainability and global development.
A major outcome of the visit was the signing of the Philippines-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), the country’s first free trade deal with a Gulf nation. Mr. Marcos said the agreement would improve Philippine access to Middle East markets, diversify trade, and ensure a stable supply of essential goods.
The CEPA includes wider access for Filipino service providers in sectors such as health, construction, information technology, and professional services. Mr. Marcos said this recognises the skills and contributions of Filipinos in the UAE.
The two sides also signed a memorandum of understanding on defence cooperation, covering training, security sharing, maritime safety, and advanced defence technologies.
Mr. Marcos thanked UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for strengthening long-standing people-to-people ties and cooperation.
