Non-oil foreign trade surged 24% y-o-y in the 1H 2025, reaching nearly AED 1.73 tn during the period, driven by a boom in non-oil exports, according to an X post from Dubai Ruler and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

The breakdown: Non-oil exports hit a historic high in 1H this year, reaching AED 369.5 bn. This remarkable achievement represents a growth rate exceeding 44.7% y-o-y, a first for the country, Dubai Media Office said in a statement yesterday. They contributed 21.4% of the UAE’s total non-oil foreign trade, marking an increase from 18.4% in the first half of 2024.

Meanwhile, non-oil imports reached AED 969.3 bn, giving the UAE a trade surplus of around AED 761 mn, according to the statement. Re-exports reached AED 389 bn, up 14% y-o-y.

Top trade partners: Trade with Switzerland surged by an impressive 120% y-o-y, followed by Turkey (41%), India (33%), the US (29%), and Saudi Arabia (21.3%).

Looking ahead, the UAE’s non-oil foreign trade is now expected to hit AED 4 tn by 2027 — four years ahead of the original 2031 target, Dubai Media Office said earlier in June.

Background: Non-oil foreign trade rose 18.6% y-o-y to AED 835 bn in 1Q 2025, and exceeded AED 2.8 tn in 2024, with non-oil exports growing 29.3% y-o-y, while re-exports grew by 3.8%, and imports climbed by 13.5%. This performance came on the back of an expansion in the UAE’s trade and economic agreements with several countries last year.

Non-oil GDP outlook: Fitch’s BMI sees non-oil growth coming in at 4.2% this year rather than 4.7% — down from the 5% growth seen last year. Meanwhile, the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) predicted a slowdown to 4.5% this year, and the IMF sees the UAE’s non-oil GDP growing by 4.5% this year, with tourism, public spending, construction, and financial services driving growth.

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