Abu Dhabi’s non-oil foreign trade grew 9 percent in 2024 to AED306 billion ($83.31 billion) as the emirate’s economy and global trade relations continued to grow. The latest data from the Abu Dhabi Customs revealed that non-oil exports soared 16 percent in 2024, reaching AED107.8 billion compared to AED93 billion in 2023.
In addition, re-exports grew by 11 percent to over AED58 billion, compared to AED52.4 billion in 2023. Meanwhile, imports grew by 3 percent to AED140.2 billion, up from AED136.4 billion in 2023.
Abu Dhabi Customs attributed this growth to the city’s business-friendly ecosystems, proactive policies and trade facilitation solutions and initiatives to reduce cost, time and requirements, simplifying procedures and enabling seamless integration of government services.
Digital transactions grow 17 percent
Customs declarations in 2024 increased by 3 percent annually, with digital platform transactions growing by 17 percent. Proactive and automated transactions grew by 31 percent, accounting for a significant portion of total customs transactions.
“This growth highlights the emirate’s resilience in adapting to global challenges and reinforces its position as a dynamic economic hub,” stated Abdulla Gharib Al Qemzi, director general of the statistics center – Abu Dhabi.
For his part, Rashed Lahej Al Mansoori, director general of Abu Dhabi Customs, emphasised that Abu Dhabi continues to achieve significant growth in non-oil foreign trade, reinforcing the emirate’s status as a rising economic powerhouse and a global hub for business, trade, and investment.
Al Mansoori affirmed Abu Dhabi Customs’ commitment to working closely with strategic partners to support the emirate’s economic objectives and facilitate trade growth. This includes enhancing the efficiency of the customs system and providing effective services to companies and investors through cutting-edge technologies and innovations, thereby reducing costs and accelerating operations. These efforts strengthen the national economy and support the UAE’s sustainable development journey.
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Abu Dhabi drives UAE’s trade targets
The growth in Abu Dhabi’s non-oil foreign trade also supports the nation’s progress on the “We the UAE 2031” vision, which aims to raise the total value of the UAE’s non-oil foreign trade in goods to AED4 trillion ($1.09 trillion) and increase non-oil exports to AED800 billion ($217.81 billion) by 2031.
In 2024, the UAE’s non-oil foreign trade reached an all-time high of AED2.997 trillion, increasing by 14.6 percent compared to 2023 against a global trade growth average of around 2.4 percent. The milestone also means that the nation has achieved 75 percent of the AED4 trillion target set in the ‘We the UAE 2031’ national vision with seven full years remaining.
Non-oil exports continued to increase their contributions to the UAE’s foreign trade. Last year, these exports climbed 27.6 percent to reach a record AED561.2 billion – nearly 70 percent of the AED800 billion target. Exports now comprise 18.7 percent of the UAE’s total trade, up from 16.8 percent in 2023 and 14.1 percent in 2019.
