The United Arab Emirates and CARICOM have taken early steps toward a potential economic partnership after high-level discussions held in Paramaribo, Suriname. At the 29th Meeting of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations, UAE Envoy Omar Shehadeh attended as a special guest and proposed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) modelled on the UAE's existing network of 36 such agreements globally. Caribbean foreign ministers responded by agreeing to begin exploratory discussions on a possible trade and investment framework, stopping short of committing to a formal agreement.
The talks covered sustainable energy, infrastructure development, digital transformation, and clean water cooperation. The UAE also flagged opportunities tied to the UN Water Conference it is co-hosting with Senegal. For Caribbean logistics operators and digital commerce firms, the opening of structured UAE-Caribbean dialogue represents a potential future pathway to expanded market access across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia; though any concrete framework remains subject to further negotiation.
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