UAE’s non-oil trade hits AED 3.8 tn record, marking a strong expansion in exports to India

The UAE’s non-oil foreign trade hit AED 3.8 tn last year, marking a record high and a 26.8% rise y-o-y, according to a post on X from Prime Minister Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and state news agency Wam. The results come as average global trade saw a smaller 7% uptick, Foreign Trade Minister Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi told Wam. Non-oil foreign trade hit AED 2.8 tn in 2024.

CEPA agreements were credited with driving the rise, with 14 new agreements coming into effect by the end of last year. Trade agreements led to an uptick in trade with India (+15%), Turkey (+15%), Malaysia (+22%), and Australia (+37%).

Why it matters: India and the UAE are seeking to expand bilateral trade to USD 200 bn by 2032, half of which will come from non oil trade. However, India’s exports to the UAE have stagnated with UAE doubling its exports from USD 26.1 bn in 2015 to USD 63.4 bn in 2025. As a result the bilateral trade remains tilted in favour of UAE with a USD 27 bn trade deficit record in 2025.

The details: On the export side, non-oil trade volumes surpassed AED 813 bn, up 45.5% from 2024’s figure and accounting for 21.6% of total trade. That’s lower than imports, which came in at AED 2.1 tn during the year, up 25.7% y-o-y. However, re-exports — which came in at AED 830.2 — helps nearly bridge the gap between both.

The results put the Emirates 95% of the way toward its goal of reaching AED 4 tn in non-oil foreign trade by 2031 — which was already expected to be brought forward to 2027, Dubai Media Office said last summer.

(** Tap or click the headline above to read this story with all of the links to our background and outside sources.)