UAE to achieve non-oil foreign trade targets early: Sheikh Mohammed

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has expressed confidence that the country will achieve its non-oil foreign trade targets four years ahead of schedule.

"Our goal to grow non-oil foreign trade to AED 4 trillion by 2031 will be achieved within the next two years; four years ahead of schedule," he wrote on social media X.

Sheikh Mohammed highlighted that the UAE's non-oil foreign trade "saw growth of 18.6 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter of this year, reaching AED 835 billion (global average is 2-3 per cent)".

He added that the "nation’s non-oil exports experienced exceptional growth, surging by 41 per cent annually".

Sheikh Mohammed reaffirmed that the UAE, under the leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, continues its remarkable progress across all sectors.

"Indicators of social, economic, and strategic stability and prosperity are at their highest historical levels. We are confident in an even brighter future, driven by the focused efforts of thousands of dedicated teams working to realize the UAE's global ambitions," he added.

مؤشراتنا التنموية الجديدة في دولة الإمارات 🇦🇪:

- ارتفاع تجارتنا الخارجية غير النفطية 18.6% على أساس سنوي في الربع الأول من هذا العام(المتوسط العالمي 2-3% )
(بلغ حجمها في الربع الأول من العام الحالي 835 مليار درهم )

- ⁠ صادراتنا غير النفطية نمت بشكل استثنائي بلغ 41% على أساس…

— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) June 15, 2025

The UAE's non-oil foreign trade continued an upward trajectory in Q1 of 2025 (January 1 to March 31), reaching AED 835 billion, an 18.6 per cent increase compared to Q1 2024.

UAE non-oil exports continued to achieve historical growth rates, recording AED 177.3 billion in Q1 2025, a 40.7 per cent year-on-year increase (compared to Q1 2024) and a 15.7 per cent quarter-on-quarter increase (compared to Q4 2024).

This robust growth propelled non-oil exports to over 21 per cent of the UAE's total non-oil foreign trade for the first time in the nation's history, outpacing the growth of both imports and re-exports.

Re-exports saw a 6 per cent annual increase, reaching AED 189.1 billion. Imports grew by 17.2 per cent year-on-year, reaching AED 468.6 billion, but experienced a slight 1.7 per cent decline compared to the previous quarter (Q4 of 2024).

Trade with the UAE's top 10 trading partners continued to expand, growing by 20.2 per cent in Q1 2025, compared to 16.9 per cent growth with other countries. Trade grew with India by 31 per cent, with Saudi Arabia by more than double at 127 per cent, with Turkey by 8.3 per cent - surpassing previous records - and with China by 9.6 per cent.