The UAE enters the top 10 global list of merchandise exports

UAE

The UAE enters the top 10 global list of merchandise exports

The World Trade Organization's "World Trade Outlook and Statistics" report showed that the UAE has entered the list of the top ten global exporters of goods for the first time in its history, ranking ninth among the world's largest exporters of goods.

The report also celebrated the exceptional growth in the UAE's overall foreign trade, noting that it reached AED 6 trillion (USD 1.63 trillion) in 2025, compared to AED 5.23 trillion (USD 1.42 trillion) in 2024, representing growth of approximately 15%. These figures include the country's foreign trade in goods and services, including oil exports. The report indicated that the country's trade in services reached a record high of AED 1.14 trillion in 2025, while the country's non-oil trade reached AED 3.8 trillion in 2025, marking a record annual increase of 27%.

This achievement, included in the World Trade Organization report, is the culmination of a long journey of diligent work and strategic planning, and reflects the success of the economic and trade policies adopted by the country in implementation of the vision and directives of its wise leadership to further open up to the world commercially and in terms of investment, which has made the UAE a role model in leadership, competitiveness and openness to the world.

The report highlighted the record growth in the UAE's foreign trade of goods and services combined in recent years. The value of its trade with the world rose from US$949 billion (AED 3.5 trillion) in 2021 to US$1.424 trillion (AED 5.23 trillion) in 2024, and continued its upward trajectory, reaching US$1.637 trillion (AED 6.014 trillion) in 2025. These figures encompass trade in both goods and services. Specifically, the value of merchandise trade alone reached AED 4.9 trillion, with merchandise exports representing 53% of total merchandise trade with the world. Meanwhile, trade in services amounted to AED 1.14 trillion, of which 61.4% were service exports to global markets. The surplus in the balance of trade in goods and services with the world reached 584.1 billion dirhams during the year 2025, compared to 492.3 billion dirhams in the year 2024, meaning that the country achieved growth in its trade surplus of 19% in just one year.

These figures reflect the UAE's prominent position in global trade, ranking ninth globally in merchandise exports and thirteenth in merchandise imports in 2025. The UAE's contribution to global merchandise exports reached 3.3%, while its contribution to global merchandise imports was 2.8%. In the rapidly growing digital services sector, the UAE ranked twenty-fifth globally, with exports valued at $33 billion, representing 0.6% of global digital services exports. This vital sector constitutes 17% of the UAE's total service exports. Since 2014, the UAE has maintained its leading position as the top trading nation in the Middle East and Africa, rising from seventeenth to ninth place globally in merchandise exports in less than five years, reflecting the dynamism and resilience of its national economy.

His Excellency Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade, affirmed that the achievements of the UAE in the field of foreign trade, which were monitored in the latest reports of the World Trade Organization, are one of the fruits of the forward-looking vision of the wise leadership and its directives for more openness to the world commercially and in terms of investment.

He said that the country’s entry into the list of the top ten in merchandise exports for the first time in its history is a new international testament to the UAE’s leadership and competitiveness, and reflects the international community’s confidence in the national economy and its ability to achieve qualitative leaps in various global indicators.

His Excellency pointed out that the latest World Trade Organization report proves that the UAE has become a pivotal player in the global trade system, and that the open economic policies adopted by the country continue to achieve exceptional results on all levels.

He added that the strength of the UAE economy and the diversity of its sectors, whether in goods, services, or digital services, represent the main pillar of this achievement, as the figures showed that the country’s foreign trade in goods and services together reached AED 6.014 trillion in 2025, with a record trade surplus of AED 584.1 billion.

He affirmed that the UAE continues to strengthen its position among the most important global trading centers for goods and services, and that service sectors, such as financial, logistics, hospitality, information technology, transportation, and others, have witnessed growth rates ranging between 9% and 14%, reflecting the vitality of the national economy and its ability to keep pace with global changes and overcome the challenges resulting from the geopolitical tensions currently witnessed in the world and the region.

Al Zeyoudi explained that the country’s trade strategy is based on continuing to expand the network of the country’s trading partners, through concluding quality agreements with the most important global markets, which enables Emirati exporters, companies and factories to access new markets with the fewest customs barriers, and enhances the competitiveness of national products at the international level. He pointed out that the UAE continues to work on developing its legislative and trade system, and employing modern technologies to improve the efficiency of supply chains, which ensures the sustainability of economic growth and the achievement of comprehensive development, regardless of any challenges resulting from temporary circumstances.

He stressed that the UAE believes in the importance of international cooperation in promoting the free flow of goods, services and capital, and calls for reforming the World Trade Organization and developing its mechanisms to keep pace with the rapid changes in the global economy, and to ensure that all countries have access to a fair and transparent trading system.

His Excellency also affirmed that the UAE has a history of turning challenges into opportunities, as demonstrated in previous years. The country is steadily progressing towards achieving further accomplishments and is determined to continue its growth and development, securing a more advanced position on the global trade map. This is based on the vision of its wise leadership, the will of its people, its open economic policies that prioritize sustainability and innovation, and its diversified economy, which possesses the necessary flexibility to overcome current challenges. This has been proven in recent years, when UAE foreign trade continued its upward trajectory, defying the downward or slowing trend of global trade.

The report addresses the challenges facing global trade, particularly the anticipated slowdown in growth in 2026 due to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and rising energy prices. It projects that goods trade growth will decline to 1.9% in 2026, down from 4.6% in 2025, before rebounding to 2.6% in 2027. The report also anticipates that services trade growth will slow to 4.8% in 2026, then accelerate to 5.1% in 2027. However, if energy prices continue to rise, goods trade growth could fall to 1.4% and services trade growth to 4.1% in 2026, according to the report. In contrast, the UAE stands out as a country with open and flexible policies, capable of adapting to global changes and capitalizing on any anticipated recovery in international trade.

UAE becomes top 10 global exporter, latest WTO figures show#WamNews https://t.co/rqFmJgkQSr pic.twitter.com/mupgj1VABA

— WAM English (@WAMNEWS_ENG) April 5, 2026