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The United Arab Emirates is expanding the scope of its commitments under the Agreement on Trade in Services and Investments between Armenia and the UAE by adding 90 new service subsectors, bringing the total to 122, Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan told lawmakers during parliamentary debate on a bill to ratify the agreement.
He said that under the framework of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Armenia has undertaken commitments in 102 service subsectors, while the UAE has undertaken commitments in 32. Under the bilateral agreement, the parties have expanded the scope of their commitments, increasing access to each other’s markets.
“Thus, the United Arab Emirates is now granting the Republic of Armenia access to 122 services — essentially 32 plus 90, a significant portion of which overlap with sectors that Armenia has already liberalized,” Papoyan said.
The newly added subsectors include computer and information technology services, scientific and technical consulting, equipment maintenance and repair, cartography, education, healthcare and postal services.
Papoyan noted that the UAE retains restrictions on foreign participation in certain sectors, while in some service subsectors, a gradual increase in permitted foreign participation is envisaged.
For its part, Armenia is expanding the scope of its commitments by adding 25 new subsectors, bringing the total to 127. The minister described this outcome as the result of effective negotiations for Armenia.
“The UAE has given us 90 new subsectors, while we have offered 25 new subsectors. This is very important because these were very effective negotiations for us. In other words, we received 90 while giving 25,” he said.
According to the minister, the agreement provides for the mutual removal of barriers to trade in services and investment, the expansion of economic cooperation, and opportunities to enter new markets. The provisions on investment promotion and mutual protection are also expected to encourage new business initiatives, he said.
The agreement was signed in Abu Dhabi on February 5, 2026, by Gevorg Papoyan and UAE Minister of Foreign Trade Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi.
At the end of his remarks, Papoyan urged lawmakers to vote in favor of ratifying the agreement.