Record surplus and trillion-dirham services trade highlight UAE’s economic resilience.
ABU DHABI: For the first time in history, the UAE has entered the ranks of the world’s top 10 exporting nations, according to the latest World Trade Organisation (WTO) “World Trade Prospects and Statistics” report.
This milestone highlights the UAE’s role as a key hub in global supply chains and its expanding contribution to the international economy.
The WTO report noted that the UAE’s trade in goods and services has grown substantially in recent years, rising from US$949 billion (Dh3.5 trillion) in 2021 to $1.637 trillion (Dh6.014 trillion) in 2025.
The country’s goods trade alone reached $1.33 trillion (Dh4.9 trillion), with exports accounting for 53% of total goods trade worldwide.
Meanwhile, services trade reached Dh1.14 trillion, with service exports accounting for 61.4% of the total.
Trade Surplus
This generated a trade surplus of Dh584.1 billion in 2025, up from Dh492.3 billion in 2024, marking a year-on-year increase of 19%.
These figures underscore the UAE’s pivotal role in global trade, ranking 9th worldwide in goods exports and 13th in goods imports in 2025.
The report also highlighted the exceptional growth of the UAE’s foreign trade in services, which surpassed Dh1 trillion for the first time, reaching Dh1.14 trillion in 2025.
This growth reflects the UAE’s proactive economic and trade policies, positioning the nation as a global model for leadership, competitiveness, and openness.
In terms of global share, the UAE contributed 3.3% of total goods exports and accounted for 2.8% of global goods imports.
In services, the UAE accounted for 2% of global exports and 1.4% of global imports.
Digital Services
In the rapidly growing digital services sector, the UAE ranked 25th globally, with exports valued at $33 billion (Dh121.19 billion), representing 0.6% of global digital services exports.
This sector alone makes up 17% of the UAE’s total services exports worldwide.
Since 2014, the UAE has maintained its regional leadership, ranking first among Middle Eastern and African nations in global trade.
Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade, stated: “The UAE’s entry into the top 10 global goods exporters for the first time in history reflects our nation’s competitiveness and the world’s confidence in our economy. Despite current geopolitical challenges, we are committed to building on this achievement and strengthening our position on the global trade map.”
He emphasized that the UAE’s economic strength and diversity form the foundation of this success.
Dr. Al Zeyoudi highlighted that key service sectors—including financial services, logistics, hospitality, information technology, and transportation—have seen growth rates of 9% to 14%, demonstrating the national economy’s resilience and its capacity to adapt to global changes while navigating regional geopolitical challenges.
Enhancing Competitiveness
He added that the UAE will continue expanding its network of trade partners through the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) programme.
This enables Emirati exporters, companies, and factories to access new markets without barriers, boosting the global competitiveness of national products.
He noted that the UAE continues to enhance its legislative and regulatory frameworks while leveraging modern technologies to improve supply chain efficiency.
Dr. Al Zeyoudi also reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to international cooperation in promoting the free flow of goods, services, and capital, advocating for WTO reforms to keep pace with rapid global economic changes and ensure all countries can participate in a fair and transparent system.
From Challenges to Opportunities
He concluded by emphasizing that the UAE is skilled at turning challenges into opportunities and remains committed to pursuing its vision for growth and development.
He emphasized that the UAE will continue pursuing open economic policies that prioritize sustainability and innovation to build a diversified economy.
As demonstrated in recent years, the UAE’s foreign trade is expected to remain resilient and continue its upward trajectory.
The WTO report also highlighted challenges facing global trade, particularly the anticipated slowdown in 2026 due to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and rising energy prices.
It projects goods trade growth to decline to 1.9% in 2026, down from 4.6% in 2025, before rebounding to 2.6% in 2027.
Growth in services trade is projected to slow to 4.8% in 2026, before picking up to 5.1% in 2027. The report notes that if energy prices continue to rise, goods trade growth could fall to 1.4% and services trade to 4.1% in 2026.
