Philstar - 08 January 2026

Marcos to visit UAE on January 12 to sign historic trade deal
By Cristina Chi

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will travel to the United Arab Emirates on January 12 for his first foreign trip of 2026, where he is expected to witness the signing of new trade and defense deals with the Middle Eastern country.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro confirmed this at a Palace briefing on Thursday, January 8.

Marcos’ last working trip to the UAE was in November 2024, when both countries vowed to strengthen cooperation in economy, trade and sustainability, among other areas.

First free trade pact with Middle East
A main highlight of Marcos’ visit next week is the Philippines’ first-ever free trade pact with a Middle Eastern nation, ending tariff barriers that have long limited Filipino exporters’ access to the oil-rich Gulf.

The deal — named the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) — aims to expand market access for Philippine products across the Middle East, Castro said.

"Ang CEPA ang kauna-unahang free trade agreement ng Pilipinas sa isang bansa sa Middle East na naglalayong palawakin ang market access ng ating bayan sa gitnang silangan," she said.

(The CEPA is the first free trade agreement of the Philippines with a country in the Middle East that that aims to expand the Philippines’ market access).

Defense ties
Alongside the trade pact, a memorandum of understanding on defense cooperation will formalize military technology sharing between Manila and Abu Dhabi, Castro said.

The UAE is the Philippines’ largest trading partner among Gulf Cooperation Council nations. In 2022, bilateral non-oil trade reached $1.85 billion, making the Emirates Manila’s 17th biggest trading partner globally, according to UAE Foreign Ministry data.

The UAE said its investments in the Philippines are expected to double after two key deals: one that entered into force in February 2024 (the Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement) and the upcoming CEPA.