Trade through Dubai's Hatta Customs Crossing hit AED37.08 billion in the first half of 2026, up 175% from AED13.48 billion in the same period last year, according to Dubai Customs.
The surge comes as shifts in regional trade routes and supply chains push more overland traffic through the emirate.
Loaded trucks crossing the border rose 160.1% to 108,811, up from 41,831 a year earlier. Traveller numbers also climbed: transiting buses were up 77.5%, while more than 919,000 travellers and around 322,000 light vehicles passed through the crossing.
Abdulla bin Damithan, Chairman of the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, said the results show Dubai's ability to respond to regional shifts and keep supply chains moving, calling the emirate "a trusted partner and a key hub for global trade."
Dr. Abdulla Busenad, Director General of Dubai Customs, said competitiveness among trade hubs now depends less on location and more on how fast a system can adapt, pointing to Dubai's institutional efficiency alongside its infrastructure.
Dubai Customs backed the growth with a set of initiatives, including expanding the pool of licensed logistics providers to increase competition, and rolling out the "Shahin" electronic seal system to track and secure shipments at no extra cost to customers. Hatta Customs Centre used 7,870 of these seals on trucks during H1 2026.
The "Green Corridor" initiative was also credited with keeping trade moving through the period of regional disruption.
On the security side, the Customs Inspection Sector at Hatta Crossing carried out 129 seizures during the first half of the year, as part of Dubai Customs' dual mandate of facilitating trade and protecting the economy.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
