Toronto: Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade, led a government and business delegation to Toronto, Canada, aimed at deepening bilateral economic ties. The visit marked a significant moment in the evolution of UAE-Canada relations, with Al Zeyoudi co-chairing a business roundtable alongside Canada's Minister of International Trade, Honourable Maninder Sidhu. Senior business leaders and government officials from both countries gathered to identify opportunities for greater private-sector collaboration. The roundtable was moderated by Honourable Jean Charest, Co-Chair of the Canada-UAE Business Council, former Premier of Quebec, and Partner at Therrien Couture Joli-Coeur.
According to Emirates News Agency, Al Zeyoudi emphasized Canada's importance as a trade and investment partner. He highlighted Canada's capabilities in agri-food, clean technology, advanced manufacturing, and financial services, which align with the UAE's economic ambitions. Discussions during the visit focused on establishing lasting, commercially meaningful links to create value for the business communities of both nations. Al Zeyoudi noted the depth of interest from Canadian companies to engage with the UAE, aiming to build on more than US$4.2 billion in bilateral non-oil trade exchanged in 2025.
During the visit, Al Zeyoudi held a bilateral meeting with his counterpart Hon. Maninder Sidhu and representatives from the Royal Bank of Canada, including Neil McLaughlin, Lindsay Patrick, Wayne Bossert, John Stackhouse, and Thomas Ashcroft. Additionally, Al Zeyoudi visited the Vector Institute, a leading AI research non-profit in Canada, where discussions with Cameron Schuler, Alan Veerman, and Roxana Sultan focused on translating AI breakthroughs into practical applications through talent development, commercialization, and industry partnerships.
The business roundtable brought together senior representatives from leading Canadian and UAE companies in sectors such as agri-food, clean energy, financial services, logistics, and technology. Participants explored opportunities to expand bilateral investment flows, strengthen supply-chain partnerships, and leverage the UAE's position as a global trade hub to facilitate Canadian access to markets across the Gulf, Middle East, Africa, and Asia.
The visit aimed to capitalize on the remarkable trajectory of UAE-Canada economic relations in recent years. In 2025, bilateral non-oil foreign trade reached US$4.2 billion, a 21.0% year-on-year increase compared to 2024, and a 94.9% increase compared to 2019. UAE non-oil exports to Canada grew by 11.0% year-on-year to US$638 million in 2025, led by jewelry, precious metal products, steel structures, and perfumes, while UAE re-exports to Canada surged by 67.4% to US$648 million, reflecting growing demand for value-added UAE-sourced goods.
This visit is part of the UAE's active international trade engagement agenda, which aims to increase the UAE's non-oil foreign trade to US$1.1 trillion by 2031. Through trade promotion activities, ministerial engagements, and business delegation programmes, the Ministry of Foreign Trade continues to drive economic diversification and forge closer commercial partnerships with like-minded nations across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa.