His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has reviewed the results of the UAE’s non-oil foreign trade for the first half of 2026, with the figures highlighting another strong period of growth for the national economy.
Sheikh Mohammed said: “اطلعنا اليوم على نتائج التجارة الخارجية غير النفطية لدولة الإمارات للنصف الأول من 2026… والنتائج تاريخية بحمد الله”.
He added: “تجارتنا الخارجية غير النفطية اقتربت لأول مرة من حاجز تريليوني درهم خلال ستة أشهر فقط، مسجلة 1.937 تريليون درهم بنمو سنوي 13.1%… فيما حققت صادراتنا غير النفطية رقماً قياسياً جديداً بلغ 452.8 مليار درهم”.
Sheikh Mohammed stressed that these figures are not simply trade data, but reflect the strength of the UAE economy, the effectiveness of its development choices, and the confidence the world places in it.
Trade nears Dh2 trillion in six months
The UAE’s non-oil foreign trade reached Dh1.937 trillion in the first half of 2026, marking growth of 13.1% compared with the same period in 2025. The figure also represents a rise of 39.6% versus the first half of 2024, 54.5% against the same period in 2023, and 78.8% compared with 2022, underscoring the sustained upward trajectory of Emirati trade in recent years.
Non-oil foreign trade in the first half of this year also more than doubled the levels recorded in the same period of 2019 and 2021, providing further evidence of the rapid pace of national economic expansion.
Exports deliver record performance
Non-oil exports were the main driver of the UAE’s trade performance in the first half of the year, rising to Dh452.8 billion. This represented growth of 23.9% compared with the same period in 2025, and a 77.3% increase on the first half of 2024.
The share of non-oil exports in the UAE’s total non-oil foreign trade climbed to 23.4% in the first half of 2026, up from 21.3% in the same period of 2025, 18.4% in 2024, and 16.9% in 2023. The trend reflects a qualitative shift in the national economy towards a model more reliant on production, exports and added value.
Key trade partners maintain strong ties
China retained its position as the UAE’s largest trading partner, with non-oil trade valued at Dh180.7 billion. It was followed by Switzerland at Dh138.4 billion and India at Dh107.5 billion. Egypt, Oman, Hong Kong, China and Switzerland also recorded strong growth rates among the country’s leading partners.
Non-oil foreign trade with the UAE’s top 10 trading partners grew by 12.6% in the first half of the year, while trade with the rest of the world expanded by 13.6%, reflecting the breadth of the country’s commercial relations and the widening base of its economic partnerships.