Abu Dhabi’s non-oil foreign trade reaches Dh230.6 billion in H1, up 17.9%

Abu Dhabi’s total non-oil foreign trade rose to Dh230.6 billion in the first half of this year, compared with Dh195.4 billion during the same period last year, representing a 17.9 per cent year-on-year increase... Non-oil foreign trade in June alone reached Dh28 billion.

Exports, including re-exports, stood at Dh15.3 billion, while imports reached Dh12.6 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of Dh2.7 billion in Abu Dhabi’s favour.

Pearls, precious stones and precious metals topped Abu Dhabi’s non-oil export list, with a value of Dh3.1 billion.

Hong Kong ranked first among Abu Dhabi’s import markets, with imports worth Dh1.6 billion, followed by Saudi Arabia at Dh1.2 billion, Qatar at Dh797.6 million, India at Dh646.1 million, and Singapore at Dh590 million.

While total trade reflects the overall volume of goods moving through an economy, non-oil exports provide a deeper indication of its competitiveness.

Exports mean that products, goods or services linked to the local economy are capable of competing in international markets. Their growth is therefore more closely associated with productivity, value creation, manufacturing and investment.

In 2025, Abu Dhabi’s non-oil exports reached Dh175.4 billion, compared with Dh107.8 billion in 2024, representing a 63 per cent increase in just one year, according to the Customs Authority.

From an economic perspective, this surge carries implications that extend beyond its financial value. It points to an expanding base of companies capable of exporting, improved access to international markets, and growing external demand for products associated with the non-oil economy.

The second key component is re-exports, which largely reflect the emirate’s ability to serve as an intermediary and trading platform connecting different markets.

This role is becoming increasingly important given Abu Dhabi’s strategic geographical location, which provides access to markets across the Gulf, the Middle East, Asia and Africa, alongside an advanced network of ports, airports, industrial zones and logistics facilities.

The value of re-exports reached approximately Dh70 billion in 2025, compared with Dh58 billion in 2024, marking 20 per cent growth.

This highlights one of the key strengths of Abu Dhabi’s trade model: the emirate is not relying solely on locally produced goods, but is also developing an integrated ecosystem that enables it to serve as a major transit and distribution point for goods moving between different parts of the world.

The growth in foreign trade cannot be explained by global demand alone. Trade requires an integrated ecosystem encompassing ports, airports, roads, industrial zones, warehouses, supply chains, customs services and digital infrastructure.

The expansion of non-oil trade therefore represents, in part, a test of the efficiency and capacity of this ecosystem.

Abu Dhabi Customs has emphasised that trade growth reflects alignment between policies, infrastructure and market access, with a focus on facilitating the movement of goods and reducing friction and bottlenecks across supply chains.

In other words, every increase in trade volumes generates additional demand for transportation, warehousing, insurance, financing, cargo handling and digital services, creating a multiplier effect that extends across multiple sectors of the economy.