UAE GDP hits Dh455 billion in Q1 as non-oil share climbs to historic 77.3%

Abu Dhabi: The UAE’s economy grew 3.9 percent in real terms during the first quarter of 2025, with gross domestic product valued at Dh455 billion, according to preliminary figures released by the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre. 

Non-oil GDP rose 5.3 percent year-on-year to Dh352 billion, bringing its contribution to 77.3 percent of total output, the highest level in the country’s history. Oil-related activities accounted for 22.7 percent of GDP during the same period.

Manufacturing was the fastest-growing sector in the first quarter, expanding 7.7 percent compared to the same period in 2024. Finance and insurance, along with construction, each recorded 7 percent growth, while real estate activities rose 6.6 percent. Trade advanced by 3 percent.

In terms of contribution to non-oil GDP, trade led with 15.6 percent, followed by finance and insurance at 14.6 percent, manufacturing at 13.4 percent, construction at 12 percent, and real estate at 7.4 percent.

This growth is a testament for both resilience and steady momentum across non-oil sectors, which now account for a record share of national output.

Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, said the first-quarter estimates reflects the strength and flexibility of the national economy and its ability to sustain exceptional growth. 

Al Marri added that the results highlight the success of the UAE’s comprehensive development model and reflect investor confidence in the business and investment environment, which he described as a global benchmark in adopting advanced policies and supportive regulatory frameworks.

“With the leadership’s support, the contribution of non-oil activities to real GDP has reached a historic peak,” bin Touq said. He attributed the achievement to the government’s economic strategies aimed at building a knowledge- and innovation-based economy in line with the “We the UAE 2031” vision, which targets GDP of Dh3 trillion within the next decade.

Hanan Mansour Ahli, Managing Director of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre, said the performance reaffirms the efficiency of the UAE’s economic model and the government’s success in developing sectors on sustainable foundations. 

Ahli stressed that non-oil GDP growth of more than 5 percent reflects the country’s direction toward establishing a diversified and technologically enabled economy that nurtures business, talent, and ideas.

Abu Dhabi’s economy expanded by 3.4% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, reaching a total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Dh291 billion, according to data released by the Statistics Centre - Abu Dhabi (SCAD).