UAE Non-Oil Trade Crosses AED 3.8 Trillion
- 06.02.2026
- Posted by: Uwe Hohmann
- Categories: Dubai, Middle East
In 2025, the UAE’s non-oil foreign trade exceeded AED 3.8 trillion (approximately USD 1.03 trillion) for the first time. That is a 27% increase over 2024 and nearly double the levels recorded in 2021. Non-oil exports alone reached AED 813.8 billion, growing 45.5% year-on-year. The country had set a target of AED 4 trillion by 2031 and has already reached 95% of it, five years ahead of schedule.
These numbers reflect a business environment that is expanding, creating both opportunities and obligations for companies in the UAE.
Where the Opportunities Are
The fastest-growing export categories in 2025 included gold and jewellery, aluminium, perfumes, copper wires, and polymer products, collectively up 64.5%. If your business touches any of these supply chains, whether through manufacturing, trading, or logistics, the volume of activity moving through the UAE is increasing significantly.
Re-exports also grew by 15.7% to AED 830.2 billion, confirming the UAE’s continued strength as a redistribution hub. For trading companies that buy, store, and resell goods across borders, this trend reinforces why the UAE remains one of the most efficient locations for that model.
Meanwhile, the expanding network of CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement) partnerships, now covering more than 27 countries, is reducing tariffs and simplifying customs procedures with key markets including India, Turkey, Indonesia, South Korea, and several African and Latin American economies. If you are exporting from the UAE, it is worth checking whether your target markets fall under an active CEPA, as the preferential terms could materially reduce your costs.
The CEPA Negotiations and What They Could Unlock
One of the key topics at the roundtable was the status of CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement) negotiations between the European Union and the UAE. An agreement with the EU would be one of the most commercially significant to date.
For DACH businesses, a finalised EU-UAE CEPA could mean reduced tariffs, simplified customs procedures, and a more predictable regulatory framework for cross-border operations. At a time when trade barriers are going up in many parts of the world, this kind of agreement would move in the opposite direction.
If your company exports goods to the Gulf or is considering setting up operations in the UAE, the progress of these negotiations is worth following closely.
What You Should Be Doing Now
Review your trade structure. If your company is involved in import, export, or re-export activity, now is a good time to assess whether your current setup is optimised.
Check your compliance. Growing trade volumes mean growing regulatory attention. CIT (Corporate Income Tax) obligations, transfer pricing documentation, VAT on cross-border transactions, and customs declarations all require careful handling as your trade activity scales. Errors that go unnoticed at lower volumes tend to surface quickly as transactions increase.
Understand rules of origin. CEPA benefits are not automatic. To qualify for reduced tariffs under any agreement, your goods need to meet specific origin criteria, and you need the documentation to prove it. If you are not familiar with how rules of origin work under the relevant CEPA for your market, get advice before assuming you qualify.
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