UAE and OECD discuss strengthening partnership on economic legislation and policy development

H.E. Bin Touq holds meeting with OECD Secretary-General in Paris

H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, met with H.E. Mathias Cormann, Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), on the sidelines of a UAE embassy event in France focused on promoting innovation and advanced technologies across key economic sectors.

During the meeting, H.E. Bin Touq emphasized that the UAE and OECD have built a successful partnership over nearly two decades, marked by a series of joint projects and initiatives designed to drive inclusive and sustainable economic growth, diversification, and business environment reforms in line with global best practices.

H.E. Bin Touq said: “The meeting marks an important step in exploring ways to strengthen our cooperation with OECD, advance and update our economic policies, and deepen institutional collaboration through expanded participation in the Organisation’s committees. We also discussed the potential establishment of a dedicated UAE office at the OECD to reinforce ongoing engagement and to further support the UAE’s economic and development priorities.”

In this context, His Excellency briefed the OECD Secretary-General on the recent reforms in the UAE’s business and economic landscape, highlighting over 35 new or updated economic laws, policies, and resolutions adopted over the past five years. These include 10 policies in new economy sectors, notably comprehensive and advanced legislation covering areas such as family businesses, cooperatives, commercial agencies, e-commerce, intellectual property, and full foreign ownership of companies.

The meeting reviewed progress in the second phase of the joint project to advance and update UAE economic policies, launched by the Ministry of Economy and Tourism in partnership with the OECD last July. The project is built around two main pillars: the first focuses on enhancing governance and institutional integration within the country’s tourism ecosystem, alongside developing relevant data; while the second aims to strengthen public-private partnership by hosting an edition of the Advisory Business Council Forum at Expo Dubai before the end of the year. This pillar aims to enhance private sector participation in policymaking, contributing to the development of more open and competitive economies in the region.

Both sides also reviewed the achievements of the first phase of the project, which included the development and updating of four key economic policies covering entrepreneurship, SMEs, competitiveness, and corporate governance. The discussions further emphasized strengthening coordination between federal and local economic policies to ensure alignment with global best practices and to enhance the efficiency and flexibility of the UAE’s legislative framework.

During the meeting, the OECD Secretary-General felicitated H.E. the Minister of Economy and Tourism, in recognition of his outstanding efforts to strengthen public-private partnerships and his continued support for fostering constructive and ongoing dialogue between the two sectors as a key driver of sustainable economic development.