Mohammed bin Rashid: The UAE’s non-oil foreign trade is approaching two trillion dirhams in 6 months - Al Bayan. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum added: “Our non-oil foreign trade approached the two trillion dirhams barrier for the first time in just six months, recording 1.937 trillion dirhams, with an annual growth of 13.1%.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, reviewed the results of the UAE’s non-oil foreign trade for the first half of 2026.
Details
The UAE's non-oil foreign trade during the first half of 2026 recorded about 1.937 trillion dirhams, achieving a growth of 13.1% compared to the same period in 2025 and 39.6% compared to the first half of 2024, while it increased by 54.5% compared to the same period in 2023.
His Highness said: “Today we reviewed the results of the UAE’s non-oil foreign trade for the first half of 2026, in a development related to the same scene.
Non-oil foreign trade with the country's ten largest trading partners also achieved a growth of 12.6% during the first half of the year, while trade with the rest of the world recorded a growth of 13.6%, an indication of the diversification of the UAE's trade relations and the expansion of the base of its economic partners.
Non-oil trade data for the first half of 2026 reflected the growing role of the comprehensive economic partnership agreements concluded by the state in promoting trade and investment. The UAE’s non-oil trade with the countries with which the comprehensive economic partnership agreements entered into force amounted to 304.3 billion dirhams during the first half of 2026.
Non-oil exports currently represent 21.7% of the UAE’s total trade with its partner in comprehensive economic partnership agreements that have entered into force, compared to 19.1% in 2022, which reflects the breadth of opportunities that these agreements provide for the Emirati product in global markets.
The value of non-oil foreign trade during the first half of this year more than doubled its levels recorded during the same period of 2019 and 2021, in an additional indication of the significant acceleration witnessed in the growth of the national economy.
The contribution of non-oil exports to the country’s total non-oil foreign trade increased to 23.4% during the first half of 2026, compared to 21.3% during the same period in 2025, 18.4% during 2024, and 16.9% during 2023.
China maintained its position as the UAE's largest trading partner with a non-oil trade value of 180.7 billion dirhams, followed by Switzerland with a value of 138.4 billion dirhams, then India with a value of 107.5 billion dirhams.
Statements
“Today we reviewed the results of the UAE’s non-oil foreign trade for the first half of 2026...and the results are historic, thank God.”
“Our non-oil foreign trade approached the barrier of two trillion dirhams for the first time in just six months, recording 1.937 trillion dirhams with an annual growth of 13.1%... while our non-oil exports achieved a new record amounting to 452.8 billion dirhams.”
Context
At the commodity level, gold continued to top the list of commodities traded in the country's non-oil trade with a value of 706.2 billion dirhams, a growth of 48.8%, followed by the telephone sector with a value of 189.7 billion dirhams, then gold jewellery, cars and diamonds.
Non-oil exports were the most prominent drivers of the country's trade performance during the first half of the year, after recording 452.8 billion dirhams, achieving a growth of 23.9% compared to the same period in 2025, and they also increased by 77.3% compared to the same period in 2024.
The data indicate that the value of imports from these countries reached 193.5 billion dirhams, a growth of 15.5%, while the value of non-oil exports reached 66.1 billion dirhams during the same period.
The ten main commodities also constituted about 67% of the country’s total non-oil merchandise trade during the first half of 2026, in a development related to the same scene.
On the other hand, our non-oil exports achieved a new record amounting to 452.8 billion dirhams.”
His Highness stressed that these numbers are not only trade data, but rather numbers that reflect the strength of the UAE’s economy and the effectiveness of its development options.
