Abu Dhabi’s non-oil foreign trade climbed by an impressive 34.7% year-on-year in the first half of 2025, reaching $53.2 billion (AED 195.4 billion), according to official figures released on Sunday. The growth was fuelled by robust increases in exports and re-exports, aligning with the emirate’s intensified push towards economic diversification.
The latest data compares this year’s first-half trade volume to $39.48 billion (AED 145 billion) in the same period of 2024.
Non-oil exports saw a remarkable 64% surge, totalling $21.37 billion (AED 78.5 billion), a sharp increase from $13.04 billion (AED 47.9 billion) a year ago. Imports also rose by 15% to $21.78 billion (AED 80 billion), while re-exports climbed 35% to $9.80 billion (AED 36 billion), up from $7.24 billion (AED 26.6 billion) previously.
Abu Dhabi’s economy grew by 3.4% in Q1 2025, hitting $79.22 billion (AED 291 billion), with non-oil GDP increasing 6.1% to $44.54 billion (AED 163.6 billion), according to the Statistics Centre – Abu Dhabi.
For the first time, non-oil sectors contributed 56.2% of the emirate’s total GDP—highlighting a major step in its economic diversification plan. Abu Dhabi continues to lead the UAE’s economy, accounting for more than two-thirds of the national GDP, overtaking Dubai.
Key non-oil drivers included manufacturing, which saw a 5% rise in added value to AED 28.5 billion ($7.75 billion). The emirate also reported a 4.7% increase in new industrial licences and a 65% rise in operational factories, underscoring its expanding industrial base.
