Speaking before a distinguished gathering of senior policymakers, business leaders, and international officials, Al Zeyoudi stressed that the Strait of Hormuz must remain a free and open international waterway, and that no party should be allowed to dominate it, use it as leverage, or weaponize it against the global economy.
According to the Emirates News Agency, the minister reviewed the immediate measures the UAE has adopted since the onset of Iranian aggression against Gulf Cooperation Council states, with the UAE at its center, and Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz in an attempt to disrupt global energy supplies and economically destabilize the world.
Among the steps taken, Al Zeyoudi highlighted the activation of alternative trade corridors bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, utilizing the eastern ports of Fujairah and Khor Fakkan; the launch of air bridges for priority cargo including medicines and food supplies; the creation of a green trade corridor with the Sultanate of Oman; and the establishment of a new trade bridge between Sharjah and Dammam.
The minister also noted the UAE’s activation of a one-billion-dirham economic support fund to ensure business continuity and provide targeted assistance to small and medium-sized enterprises, alongside a five-pillar package launched by the Central Bank to bolster the resilience of financial institutions and support stable credit flows.
“The logistics restructuring we had planned to carry out over a decade, we are now targeting to complete in years,” Al Zeyoudi said. “Current circumstances have accelerated the timelines of existing plans, and have underscored the wisdom and foresight of our leadership, which decided to build a resilient, diversified, and robust trade infrastructure before it was ever needed.”
Al Zeyoudi also spoke to the UAE’s long-term trade vision, affirming that the country’s Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement program remains a vital tool for sustaining momentum in foreign trade. The program has resulted in 35 agreements with partners across six continents and helped push non-oil foreign trade to $1.03 trillion in 2025.
“Our achievements over the past five years remain firmly in place,” the minister concluded. “The UAE is a bridge to high-growth markets across the Arabian Gulf, Africa, and Asia, a trusted global partner in trade, logistics, investment, and technology. That role has not diminished; if anything, it has become more important than ever.”
