His Excellency Ram Chandra Paudel, President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, received His Excellency Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, in the presence of His Excellency Abdullah bin Jarwan Al Shamsi, the UAE's ambassador to Nepal, at the presidential palace in the capital Kathmandu.
At the outset of the meeting, Dr Al Zeyoudi conveyed the greetings of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, to the Nepalese president, along with their congratulations on his assumption of office and their wishes for his country and people for continued progress and prosperity.
President Paudel welcomed the UAE delegation and asked Dr Al Zeyoudi to convey his greetings to the UAE's wise leadership, expressing his wishes for the country and its people for continued progress and prosperity.
The president reaffirmed his commitment to continuously elevating the distinguished bilateral relationship between Nepal and the UAE, and his desire to strengthen and develop it across all areas of mutual interest, particularly in trade and investment.
During the official visit, which was held under the banner of "UAE Trade Days" with the participation of a UAE delegation of officials and business leaders, Al Zeyoudi held a series of bilateral meetings with ministers, senior officials and business leaders in Nepal to discuss mechanisms for deepening bilateral trade and investment ties and expanding cooperation across priority sectors. He met with His Excellency Dol Prasad Aryal, Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Federal Parliament; His Excellency Arzu Rana Deuba, Minister of Foreign Affairs; His Excellency Dr Swarnim Wagle, Minister of Finance; His Excellency Sudan Gurung, Minister of Home Affairs; His Excellency Gouri Kumari Bhatta, Minister of Industry, Commerce and Supplies; Asim Shah, Adviser to the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers; and Chandra Prasad Dhakal, former President of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry. The meetings focused on identifying practical ways to increase trade and investment flows between the two countries.
Dr Al Zeyoudi said: "Nepal has a promising economy brimming with potential, and this visit focused on exploring ways to translate that potential into tangible commercial outcomes for the private sector in both countries, which are keen to deepen their economic partnership — particularly in hydropower, tourism, agro-processing and technology. These are all sectors where the expertise of the UAE business community complements Nepal's abundant natural resources. By boosting trade, investment and people-to-people connectivity, we can open new horizons for shared, long-term prosperity."
He also participated in a dialogue session bringing together business leaders from the UAE and Nepal to explore concrete investment opportunities and enhance private-sector engagement. Discussions centred on Nepal's priority investment sectors, including hydropower generation, tourism infrastructure, agro-processing, information technology and large-scale infrastructure development, as well as the importance of strengthening air connectivity between the UAE and Nepal to support continued growth in trade, tourism and business travel.
The UAE's non-oil foreign trade with Nepal reached $438.4 million in 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 90.1%. Nepal's non-oil exports to the UAE reached $348.6 million in 2025, up 109.4% compared to the previous year, while the value of UAE re-exports to Nepal reached $84.6 million, an increase of 44%. This growth builds on a trade relationship that peaked at $480 million in 2021, underscoring the vast scope for both countries to build a more diversified and resilient economic partnership in the future.
The visit to Nepal comes within the UAE's ongoing efforts to diversify its global trade partnerships and strengthen cooperation with high-growth markets across South Asia. Both sides expressed a shared commitment to building a more resilient and forward-looking economic relationship.