UAE Foreign Trade Nears 3 Trillion Dirhams in 9 Months, Up 10%
Key Facts
The UAE’s foreign trade approached 3 trillion dirhams in the first nine months of 2026, up 10% from the same period a year earlier, according to a report published by Gulf News on November 8. The report attributed the figure to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. The performance puts total trade at a record level that is close to being reached for the first time during this period, without meaning that the 3 trillion dirham threshold has been crossed. Sheikh Mohammed said the UAE "remains a major hub for international trade." He also said the country is addressing global economic and political challenges by strengthening its international ties and expanding its export markets.
Exports to the largest trading partners grew faster than overall trade. Exports to the UAE’s top 10 partners rose 31% in the first nine months of 2026 from the same period a year earlier, the report said. The figure highlights strong export flows to the group of largest partners, but does not specify their absolute value or break down the increase by individual market. This comes as the country contends with challenges facing global markets, according to UAE officials. The undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Trade said on November 3 that trade continued to post double-digit growth during the nine months despite those challenges. He said official forecasts point to continued growth in 2026.
First-half data offer an indication of the composition of trade before the end of the nine-month period, but cover a shorter period and do not represent the full nine-month total. Non-oil foreign trade reached 1.937 trillion dirhams in the first half of 2026, up 13.1% year on year, according to data from the official Emirates News Agency. Non-oil exports outpaced overall growth, rising 23.9% to 452.8 billion dirhams. Non-oil exports’ share of total non-oil trade also increased to 23.4%, compared with 21.3% in the first half of 2025, 18.4% in 2024 and 16.9% in 2023. Over a longer period, first-half trade exceeded levels in the corresponding periods by 39.6% in 2024 and 54.5% in 2023.
China was the UAE’s largest non-oil trading partner in the first half, followed by Switzerland and then India. Trade with China totaled 180.7 billion dirhams, compared with 138.4 billion dirhams with Switzerland and 107.5 billion dirhams with India, according to the Emirates News Agency. Compared with the first half of 2022, non-oil trade was 78.8% higher and more than double its levels in the first half of 2019 and 2021. These comparisons show the expansion of trade activity over several years, while figures for the three partners relate specifically to the first half. The nine-month data published in November point to higher exports to the top 10 partners, without detailing those markets’ rankings or trade values over the latest period.
Trade with countries where comprehensive economic partnership agreements have fully entered into force totaled 304.3 billion dirhams in the first half of 2026, while non-oil exports to those countries reached 66.1 billion dirhams, according to official data. These figures measure trade with the group of partners where the agreements have been fully implemented, but do not isolate the agreements’ effect on nine-month growth. The undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Trade said the UAE’s network of economic agreements and understandings extends to about 40 countries, according to a statement published on November 3. The ministry describes the agreements as part of efforts to expand market access and support investment and industrial development. The country is also working to increase port capacity on its east coast, particularly in Fujairah and Khorfakkan, and connect cargo movements to the Etihad Rail network.
UAE companies’ logistics presence extends beyond the country; the undersecretary said on November 3 that Emirati companies oversee more than 140 ports and more than 30 airports around the world. Official statements place the development of eastern ports and use of the Etihad Rail network within plans to strengthen supply-chain resilience and diversify trade routes. These steps provide context for the UAE’s efforts to cement its position as a hub for international trade, alongside export growth to its largest partners. The latest published nine-month total remains an aggregate figure, indicating that foreign trade is nearing 3 trillion dirhams and is up 10% year on year. First-half data had previously shown increases in non-oil trade and exports, alongside expanded trade with partners covered by fully implemented partnership agreements.