For many people, midway through the year is a good time to take stock, review progress and plan for the future. The same is true for countries and economies, making this week’s news that Abu Dhabi’s non-oil foreign trade in the first half of this year jumped 34.7 per cent annually to Dh195.4 billion ($53.2 billion) significant.

As the emirate’s non-oil economy continues to expand amid diversification drives and government initiatives, these latest figures reveal that a thriving, post-hydrocarbons UAE is no longer about near-future speculation; it is unfolding now. The reasons behind this are varied but they are not only of national interest – they have global relevance too.

One important driver of the UAE’s flourishing non-oil trade is the country’s economic relationships with an expanding list of partner states. By signing new trade deals, such as the more than two dozen Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (Cepas) struck in........

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