UAE Says It Concludes Free Trade Agreement with Colombia

 The United Arab Emirates flag flies in front of the Jumeirah Beach Residence in Dubai. (Reuters file photo)
The United Arab Emirates flag flies in front of the Jumeirah Beach Residence in Dubai. (Reuters file photo)
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UAE Says It Concludes Free Trade Agreement with Colombia

 The United Arab Emirates flag flies in front of the Jumeirah Beach Residence in Dubai. (Reuters file photo)
The United Arab Emirates flag flies in front of the Jumeirah Beach Residence in Dubai. (Reuters file photo)

The UAE said on Saturday it had concluded the terms of a trade deal with Colombia, which it called the first such bilateral agreement between the Gulf and South America.

"The UAE and Colombia have concluded the terms of a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement – the first bilateral trade deal between the Gulf and South America," Thani Al Zeyoudi, UAE minister of State for Foreign Trade, wrote on X.

"We can look ahead to a new era of cooperation that will deliver growth for both nations."

UAE state news agency WAM said the deal, once implemented, will "remove or reduce tariffs on the majority of product lines, eliminate unnecessary barriers to trade, improve market access and deepen collaboration" across a variety of sectors, including energy, telecommunications, tourism and food production.



Biden Pledges Record $4 bln US Contribution to World Bank Fund for Poorest Countries

The World Bank logo. (File/Asharq Al-Awsat Ar)
The World Bank logo. (File/Asharq Al-Awsat Ar)
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Biden Pledges Record $4 bln US Contribution to World Bank Fund for Poorest Countries

The World Bank logo. (File/Asharq Al-Awsat Ar)
The World Bank logo. (File/Asharq Al-Awsat Ar)

US President Joe Biden has pledged a $4 billion US contribution to the World Bank's International Development Association (IDA) fund for the world's poorest countries, two sources with knowledge of the commitment said on Monday, Reuters reported.

Biden announced the US pledge during a closed session during the Group of 20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, according to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The amount is a record and substantially exceeds the $3.5 billion that Washington committed in the previous IDA replenishment round in December 2021.