Dubai’s economy continues to demonstrate remarkable competitiveness, resilience, and agility across its key and emerging sectors. It consistently attracts global investors, entrepreneurs, and talent while nurturing homegrown capabilities and serving as a launchpad for international expansion. As leaders look ahead, the focus remains on building a future-ready, knowledge-driven economy that sustains momentum and unlocks further opportunities for investment and innovation.
Commenting on the latest results, Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Director General of Digital Dubai, said: “Dubai’s exceptional economic performance in the first half of 2025 underscores the strength, resilience, and dynamism of its economy, demonstrating its ability to adapt to global changes while sustaining long-term competitiveness. This growth continues to advance the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33), which aims to double the size of the economy within the next decade and position Dubai among the world’s top three urban economies, in line with the emirate’s long-term strategic vision.”
He added that under visionary leadership, Dubai has built a solid foundation for sustainable development, strengthening its role as a global business and investment hub. “At Digital Dubai, we take pride in driving this journey by accelerating digital transformation, advancing technology adoption across all sectors, and enhancing operational efficiency to ensure sustained growth and reinforce Dubai’s position as a global leader in digital innovation.”
Key Sectors Driving Growth
Younus Al Nasser, CEO of the Dubai Data and Statistics Establishment, stated: “The remarkable outcomes achieved by Dubai’s economy in the first half of 2025 reflect exceptional performance across key sectors and the effective collaboration between government entities and the private sector. This partnership continues to shape a future where Dubai, a city powered by real-time data, leads through innovation, technology, and data-driven decision-making.”
He emphasised the Establishment’s commitment to providing accurate, reliable data and enabling innovative analysis that supports competitiveness and strategic goals. “The progress we see today is evidence of Dubai’s success in transforming its vision and ambitions into tangible outcomes that positively shape its present and future.”
Hadi Badri, CEO of Dubai Economic Development Corporation (DEDC), highlighted: “The robust expansion we witnessed – particularly in health, construction, real estate, and financial services – is the direct result of the creation and development of a business ecosystem purpose-built for agility and scale.” He noted that the growth also reflects Dubai’s innovation-friendly policies that enhance competitiveness and attract high-value investment.
According to DEDC data, the health sector achieved the highest growth rate, expanding 20 percent in the first half of 2025 to reach AED3.3 billion and contributing 1.4 percent to total GDP. The construction sector maintained strong momentum, growing 8.5 percent year-on-year to reach AED16 billion, supported by increased government spending on development projects.
Meanwhile, the real estate sector expanded by 7 percent, contributing 8.2 percent to GDP with a total value added of AED19.8 billion, driven by a 40 percent surge in property sales. The financial services sector recorded 6.7 percent growth in the first half of 2025, contributing 12.5 percent to GDP with a total value of AED30.2 billion.
The hospitality and tourism sector also saw steady gains, growing 4.9 percent to AED8.7 billion amid a 6 percent rise in international visitors, which reached 9.88 million in the first half of 2025. The trade sector, representing nearly a quarter of Dubai’s economy, rose 4.4 percent to AED57.4 billion, underscoring its continued importance as a pillar of growth. Other sectors collectively recorded 1.8 percent growth during the same period.
Advancing Data Transparency and Economic Insights
To further enhance accuracy, the Dubai Data and Statistics Establishment is recalibrating GDP time series and other economic indicators in line with international standards. This initiative integrates new and more comprehensive data sources to deliver a clearer view of Dubai’s evolving economic landscape.
These efforts reinforce the government’s commitment to transparency and reliability in reporting, supporting Dubai’s developmental goals and its ambition to remain among the world’s most dynamic and innovative metropolitan economies
