The UAE’s non-oil foreign trade surged to AED1.728 trillion in the first half of 2025, achieving a record 24% year-on-year growth compared to H1 2024. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, highlighted the achievement as a testament to the UAE’s expanding role as a reliable global trading partner.
In a post on “X”, Sheikh Mohammed said:
“Today, I reviewed our non-oil foreign trade data for the first half of 2025. In the first six months of this year, we achieved more than AED1.7 trillion, with a record growth of 24% compared to the first half of 2024, which itself was an exceptional year for our national economy. We recorded double what we achieved in the first half of 2021 and continued the unprecedented boom in our trade with historic growth rates of 59.5% and 37.8% compared to the first half of 2022 and 2023, respectively.”
The UAE’s non-oil exports hit AED369.5 billion in H1 2025, marking an unprecedented 44.7% growth year-on-year, and an impressive 80% rise compared to H1 2023. Non-oil exports now account for 21.4% of the country’s total non-oil trade — the highest contribution in UAE history.
CEPA Programme Drives Export Growth
Sheikh Mohammed noted the UAE’s Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) programme has been central to this success. Since its launch in 2021, the UAE has concluded 28 agreements, 10 of which are already active, providing streamlined customs access to nearly 3 billion consumers worldwide.
He stated:
“Our non-oil foreign trade continues to reap the benefits of this programme, under which we have concluded 28 agreements to date, 10 of which have entered into force. This means we can offer unhindered customs access to markets where nearly 3 billion consumers live.”
Among the UAE’s top non-oil export destinations in H1 2025 were Switzerland, India, Turkey, and Hong Kong-China. Exports to India rose by 97.6% year-on-year to AED51.45 billion, while CEPA partners accounted for AED85.02 billion, representing a 62.8% jump and 23% of total non-oil exports. Exports to these CEPA nations have tripled since 2021 and quadrupled compared to 2019, underscoring the agreements’ transformative impact.
Imports, Re-exports, and Partner Trade Continue Upward Trend
Re-exports rose to AED389 billion, growing 14% year-on-year. Meanwhile, non-oil imports reached AED969.3 billion, marking a 22.5% increase over the same period in 2024. Notably, the UAE’s trade with its top 10 partners climbed by 25.5%, while trade with all other countries rose 23.6%.
Bilateral trade with key markets continued to gain momentum:
- Trade with India increased 33.9% year-on-year.
- Trade with China grew 15.6%.
- Trade with Switzerland soared 120%.
- Trade with Saudi Arabia rose 21.3%.
- Trade with Turkey jumped 41.4%.
- Trade with the USA expanded 29%, ranking sixth among the UAE’s top partners.
France also entered the UAE’s top 10 trading partners list for the first time in H1 2025, reflecting the country’s increasingly diversified trade relationships.
Historic Milestone for National Economy
The UAE’s non-oil trade in H1 2025 continued to deliver record-breaking growth, doubling the levels recorded in H1 2021 and more than twice those of H1 2019. Sheikh Mohammed praised the UAE’s economic trajectory, stating that the country’s trade achievements are a clear signal of its successful diversification efforts and its position as a global gateway for trade.
