United Arab Emirates: Announced commencement of accession process of United Arab Emirates to Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA)

On 30 June 2025, the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Digital Development and Information, and the Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore announced that the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA) Joint Committee approved a proposal to establish an Accession Working Group (AWG) for the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The AWG, chaired by Singapore and composed of representatives from existing DEPA members, will assess the UAE’s alignment with DEPA’s digital trade standards. Signed in 2020 by Chile, New Zealand, and Singapore, and expanded in 2024 to include Korea, DEPA facilitates digital trade. As of June 2025, seven economies have applied to join, including China, Canada, Costa Rica, Peru, the UAE, El Salvador, and Ukraine. The DEPA establishes common norms for cooperation and harmonisation regarding digital trade, as well as digital content and services. Furthermore, the DEPA creates a common framework for data protection, establishes common rules on digital trade, and removes digital barriers to data transfers.