06/04/2026 04:58 AST
In a historic first, the UAE has become one of the world's top 10 exporting countries, reported state news Agency Wam, citing the latest figures from the World Trade Organisation's 'World Trade Prospects and Statistics' report. This achievement reflects the UAE's position as a vital hub on international supply chains and its growing contribution to the wider global economy.
The WTO report said the UAE's goods and services trade has risen significantly in recent years, increasing from $949 billion in 2021 to $1.637 trillion in 2025.
The value of the UAE's trade in goods reached $1.33 trillion with exports representing 53% of the total goods trade with the world. Meanwhile, services trade surged to AED1.14 trillion, of which 61.4% were service exports to global markets.
The result was a trade surplus of AED584.1 billion in 2025, compared to AED492.3 billion in 2024, a year-on-year growth of 19%. These figures reflect the vital role the UAE plays in global trade, ranking 9th in the world in goods exports and 13th in goods imports during 2025.
The report also highlighted what it described as the exceptional growth in the UAE's foreign trade in services, which reached AED1.14 trillion in 2025 - exceeding the AED1 trillion barrier for the first time.
This reflects the UAE's proactive economic and trade policies that have opened the nation to the world, making the country a role model in leadership, competitiveness, and openness, said the Wam report.
The UAE's contribution to global goods exports amounted to 3.3% while goods imports accounted for 2.8% of the global total. In services, the UAE accounted for 2% of global exports, and 1.4% of global imports.
In the digital services sector, which is witnessing rapid growth, the UAE ranked 25th globally with an export value of $33 billion, contributing 0.6 percent of the world's exports of digital services. This vital sector constitutes 17% of the UAE's total exports of services to the world.
Since 2014, the UAE has maintained its regional leadership, ranking first amongst Middle Eastern and African nations in trade with the world.
Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade, said: "The UAE's top 10 ranking in goods exports for the first time in history is a testament to our nations' competitiveness and a reflection of the world's confidence in our economy. Despite the current geopolitical challenges, we are determined to build on this success and cement our position on the global trade map."
Al Zeyoudi added that the strength and diversity of the UAE economy is the foundation of this success.
The service sectors, which includes financial services, logistics, hospitality, information technology and transportation, have witnessed growth rates ranging from 9% to 14%, underlining the national economy's ability to keep pace with global changes and overcome the geopolitical challenges that are currently affecting the region.
The UAE will continue to expand its trade partner network through the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) programme. This allows Emirati exporters, companies and factories to reach new markets barrier-free and enhances the global competitiveness of national products, stated the minister.
The UAE continues to work on developing its legislative and regulatory framework, as well as deploying modern technologies to improve the efficiency of supply chains, he added.
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