Abu Dhabi -- Free trade talks between the United Arab Emirates and the European Union are advancing rapidly, UAE state minister Lana Nusseibeh said on Thursday at a briefing with an EU commissioner.

The EU and the UAE launched the talks earlier this year, focusing on trade in goods, services, investment and deepening cooperation in strategic sectors, including renewable energy, green hydrogen and critical raw materials, the EU said in April.

The fourth round of talks is scheduled to take place in the UAE this week and a fifth round is scheduled for early next year, according to Nusseibeh.

"We're having very productive conversations," she said.
The EU is the UAE's second-largest trading partner, accounting for 8.3% of UAE's total non-oil trade.

The wealthy Gulf state is also the EU’s largest export destination and investment partner in the Middle East and North Africa, according to the UAE state news agency.