Vietnam sees growing export opportunities in UAE

In 2025, Vietnam’s goods shipment to the UAE exceeded US$5.9 billion, while bilateral trade reached over $6.5 billion.

The UAE is emerging as a key export market for Vietnam in the Middle East, particularly because it relies on imports to meet around 90 percent of its food requirements.

Focus on value-added processing, distribution networks

At a seminar on Vietnam-UAE economic partnership and export potential in Middle Eastern and African markets, held in Ho Chi Minh City on Friday, Pham Binh An, former deputy director of the Ho Chi Minh City Institute for Development Studies, said the UAE relies heavily on food imports due to natural constraints on domestic agricultural production.

Vietnamese dragon fruit, watermelon and seedless lime are already available in supermarket chains across the UAE and the wider Gulf region.

The country’s diverse population also generates demand for products across a broad range of price points, from affordable everyday goods to premium offerings.

Truong Xuan Trung, head of the Vietnam Trade Office in the UAE, recommended that Vietnamese firms prioritize agricultural products, processed foods, coffee, pepper, spices, fruit and frozen seafood for export to the market.

Besides, local exporters should also expand the shipment of textiles, footwear, wooden products, furniture and household goods to the market.

Many UAE businesses import raw coffee beans and pepper from Vietnam, then process and package them under their own brands for domestic consumption or re-export, Trung said.

Therefore, Vietnamese companies should move beyond supplying raw materials by investing in deeper processing, increasing product value and developing their own brands.

Regarding distribution channels, he said Vietnamese firms should seek partnerships with specialized importers, retail chains with regional networks and logistics providers.

He highlighted supermarket chains such as Lulu and West Zone as potential distribution partners in the UAE.

“Businesses should shift from the mindset of selling individual shipments to building long-term distribution networks,” Trung advised.

Price competition, rules of origin remain key challenges

Despite the market’s growth potential, price competition remains a major challenge for Vietnamese exporters entering the UAE.

Trung noted that some importers review quotations weekly and switch suppliers if they receive a lower offer.

As such, Vietnamese businesses need to carefully calculate transportation, insurance, warehousing and additional charges to maintain their competitiveness.

Another important strategy is to capitalize on the Vietnam-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, which took effect on February 3 this year.

Under the agreement, the UAE immediately eliminated import tariffs on 74.2 percent of tariff lines, with the share set to increase to 89.2 percent after five years of implementation.

Tran Ngoc Binh, head of the Import-Export Management Office No. III under the Ministry of Industry and Trade's Agency for Foreign Trade, said goods seeking preferential tariff treatment must satisfy the corresponding rules of origin.

Agricultural products grown and harvested in Vietnam may qualify under the wholly obtained criteria, while products made from imported inputs must comply with the specific rules applicable to them.

Businesses must also meet relevant quality standards, food safety requirements and Halal certification requirements for product categories subject to such conditions.

Speaking on the sidelines of the seminar, Binh also warned businesses about the risk of trade fraud when entering the UAE market, emphasizing the importance of verifying commercial partners and transactions.

Vietnam’s exports to the UAE near $3.7bn in 8 months

Between January and August, Vietnam’s exports to the UAE reached nearly $3.7 billion, down 5.6 percent year on year, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Vietnam Industry and Trade Information Center.

Phones and components remained Vietnam’s leading earner, accounting for around 60.26 percent of total export value.

Other major export products included computers and electronic products, footwear, agricultural goods, seafood and textiles.