Mohammed bin Rashid: UAE to hit trade target early

Exceptional growth in non-oil trade
His Highness highlighted that the UAE's non-oil foreign trade recorded a year-on-year growth of 18.6% in Q1 2025, reaching AED 835 billion—significantly outpacing the global average of 2–3%. Non-oil exports alone grew by an impressive 41% annually.
National trade goals shead of schedule
Sheikh Mohammed stated that the UAE's strategic goal of growing non-oil foreign trade to AED 4 trillion by 2031 is expected to be achieved within just two years—four years ahead of schedule. In 2024, the country's GDP grew by 4% to reach AED 1.77 trillion, with the non-oil sector contributing a dominant 75.5% to the national economy.
Confidence in continued prosperity
He emphasised that the UAE's economic performance is reaching new historic highs across various indicators of stability and prosperity. He attributed this momentum to the leadership of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and the hard work of thousands of dedicated teams focused on realizing the UAE's global economic ambitions.
Q1 2025 trade performance overview
The UAE's non-oil foreign trade in the first quarter of 2025 (January to March) reached AED 835 billion, up 18.6% from Q1 2024. Non-oil exports totaled AED 177.3 billion—a 40.7% year-on-year and 15.7% quarter-on-quarter increase—accounting for over 21% of total non-oil trade for the first time in the nation's history.
Re-rxports and imports
Re-exports rose by 6% annually to AED 189.1 billion, while imports climbed 17.2% year-on-year to AED 468.6 billion, despite a 1.7% quarter-on-quarter decline.
Strong trade growth with key partners
Trade with the UAE's top 10 trading partners grew by 20.2% in Q1 2025, outpacing the 16.9% growth with other countries. Notable increases included India: up 31%, Saudi Arabia: more than doubled (127%), Turkiye: up 8.3%, and China: up 9.6%.
These figures underscore the UAE's growing role as a global trade hub and its success in diversifying economic partnerships.

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