She said the legal framework would need to be reviewed before the FTA could be signed, a process expected to take about two to three months.
Signing was expected in early 2027, making the UAE the first Middle Eastern country to sign an FTA with Thailand.
Suphajee said Thailand already traded with the UAE in areas such as energy, although there were still few Thai products to offer in that market.
Signing the FTA would enable Thailand to export more agricultural products and other goods, which she said would increase trade value by more than THB10–12 billion and benefit small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and farmers.
