Dubai's Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has reviewed the country's non-oil foreign trade figures for the first half of 2026, describing them as exceptional across every measure.
Non-oil foreign trade reached AED1.937 trillion in the six-month period, edging close to the AED2 trillion mark and marking annual growth of 13.1 percent. National non-oil exports hit a historic high of AED452.8 billion, up 23.9 percent year on year.
Sheikh Mohammed said the figures represent more than trade statistics, calling them proof of the economy's strength, the effectiveness of the country's development strategy and global confidence in the UAE.
The half-year total also reflects sustained growth over recent years, standing 39.6 percent higher than H1 2024, 54.5 percent higher than H1 2023 and 78.8 percent higher than H1 2022. Trade volumes have more than doubled compared with the same periods in 2019 and 2021.
Non-oil exports now make up 23.4 percent of total non-oil trade, up from 21.3 percent a year earlier, pointing to a shift toward production and value-added exports.
China remained the UAE's top trading partner with AED180.7 billion in non-oil trade, followed by Switzerland at AED138.4 billion and India at AED107.5 billion. Egypt, Oman and Hong Kong also posted strong growth.
Trade with Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) countries reached AED304.3 billion, with non-oil exports to these partners climbing to AED66.1 billion.
Gold remained the leading traded commodity at AED706.2 billion, up 48.8 percent, followed by telecoms, gold jewelry, automobiles and diamonds, with the top ten commodities accounting for roughly 67 percent of total non-oil merchandise trade.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
