Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed referred to this six-month report card as a historic achievement when reviewing the latest foreign trade data. The numbers confirm his judgment: from January to June 2026, the total non oil foreign trade of the United Arab Emirates soared to about 527.4 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 13.1%, setting a new historical record for the same period.

The daily cargo throughput of 2.9 billion US dollars has exceeded the total import and export volume of many small and medium-sized economies throughout the year. Breaking through the trillion dollar mark for the whole year is turning expectations into reality.

Protocol network acceleration weaving

Non oil exports have become the core engine driving growth. In the first half of the year, the export value of non oil commodities reached 452.8 billion dirhams, accounting for 23.4% of the total non oil foreign trade, up from 21.3% in the same period last year. In 2025, the annual export has reached 813.8 billion dirhams, a year-on-year increase of over 45.5%.

The weaving of protocol networks is still accelerating. The United Arab Emirates has signed 37 comprehensive economic partnership agreements, 18 of which have come into effect, and about 20 countries are currently negotiating. Gold became the largest traded commodity with a growth rate of 48.8%, followed closely by communication equipment, jewelry, and automobiles.

Diversified economic chassis supports trade leap

The non oil sector is becoming the cornerstone of the economy. In the first quarter of 2026, non oil GDP grew by 4.8%, contributing 79.4% to the economy. Finance and insurance expanded by 17.3%, construction industry grew by 8.1%, and information and communication grew by 5.9%. Synchronized follow-up of social investment - $7.6 billion will be used for social development projects such as education, healthcare, and housing in 2025, accounting for 39% of the federal budget. Keywords: trade logistics, Middle East news

From fintech in Dubai to photovoltaic power plants in Abu Dhabi, the diversified industrial ecosystem is expanding the economic moat of the United Arab Emirates. With a volume of 527.4 billion US dollars in six months, there is no doubt that 2026 will break the annual record. But more noteworthy than the numbers is that the UAE is transforming from a trade hub to an export powerhouse, occupying a more proactive position in global supply chain restructuring.Editor/Cheng Liting