The United Arab Emirates’ non-oil foreign trade surpassed AED3.8 trillion for the first time in 2025, marking a major milestone for the country’s economy, Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said Saturday.
Sheikh Mohammed said the UAE had completed the development of its investment ecosystem, doubled its international partnerships, strengthened cooperation with the private sector and consolidated global confidence in the country.
“Today I reviewed the results of the foreign trade report,” he said. “For the first time in its history, the UAE’s non-oil foreign trade has exceeded $1 trillion (AED3.8 trillion), an increase of 26.8% compared to the previous year.”
He said non-oil exports exceeded AED813 billion, recording year-on-year growth of 45.5%.
Sheikh Mohammed said the figures were targets announced three years ago to be achieved by 2031 and that 95% of those goals had already been met five years ahead of schedule.
“These figures were targets we announced three years ago to be achieved by 2031,” he said. “We have realised 95% of them five years ahead of schedule.”
The UAE’s non-oil foreign trade reached approximately AED3.8 trillion, or $1.03 trillion, in 2025. This represented growth of 27% compared to 2024 and 44.3% compared to 2023.
Trade grew by 65% compared to 2022 and by 97.4% compared to 2021, nearly doubling its value since 2021 and exceeding twice the level recorded in 2019.
In the final quarter of 2025, non-oil trade reached AED1.1 trillion for the first time within a three-month period, growing by 33.1% compared to the same period in 2024.
Non-oil exports during the final quarter amounted to AED234.4 billion, up 53.2% year-on-year and 12% compared to the third quarter of 2025.
By the end of 2025, exports accounted for 21.6% of total non-oil trade, up from 18.8% in 2024, 16.5% in 2022 and 14.1% in 2019.
Total non-oil exports reached AED813.8 billion, rising more than 45.5% from 2024 and 85% from 2023. Exports exceeded three times their 2019 value and more than doubled compared to 2021 and 2022.
Exports to 14 countries with Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements in force reached AED175.5 billion, accounting for 21.6% of total UAE exports in 2025.
Key non-oil exports included gold and jewelry, aluminum, cigarettes, refined petroleum oils, polymers, copper wires and perfumes.
Re-exports totaled AED830.2 billion in 2025, up 15.7% from 2024.
Imports of non-oil goods exceeded AED2.1 trillion, growing 25.7% year-on-year. Leading imports included gold, mobile phones, cars, petroleum oils, jewelry, diamonds and computers.
Sheikh Mohammed congratulated national teams and urged them to further strengthen private sector partnerships to build a stronger economic future.
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