Member Details

His Excellency Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi is a senior Emirati leader with extensive experience across foreign trade, economic development, climate policy, and international cooperation. He currently serves as the UAE’s Minister of Foreign Trade, where he leads the national agenda to expand non-oil foreign trade, strengthen global trade partnerships, and reinforce the UAE’s position as a leading global trade and investment hub.

In this role, His Excellency chairs the Higher Committee of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) negotiations and has overseen the conclusion of more than 30 bilateral trade agreements. 

Under his leadership, the UAE has achieved consecutive record levels of non-oil foreign trade and exceeded strategic targets years ahead of schedule.

Alongside his trade portfolio, His Excellency serves as Minister in Charge of Talent Attraction and Retention and is Chair of the UAE International Investor Council, as well as founder of the NextGen FDI initiative, which has strengthened the UAE’s investment ecosystem. 

He also serves as Vice Chairman of Etihad Credit Insurance and sits on the Boards of Trustees of the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy and the National Competitiveness Committee. 

Previously, Dr. Al Zeyoudi served as Minister of State for Foreign Trade and as the UAE’s first Minister of Climate Change and Environment and held senior roles at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including Director of the Department of Energy and Climate Change and UAE Permanent Representative to IRENA with the rank of Ambassador. 
He has been named as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader in 2020 and a recipient of the GCC Excellence Award in 2015.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering from the University of Tulsa, an MBA from the New York Institute of Technology, a master’s degree in project management from the British University in Dubai, and a PhD in Strategy, Program and Project Management from SKEMA Business School in France.