Dubai, UAE — April 2026 — In a historic first, the UAE has broken into the world’s top 10 exporting nations, according to the latest “World Trade Prospects and Statistics” report released by the World Trade Organisation.
The achievement cements the UAE’s status as a vital link in international supply chains and marks its growing clout in the global economy.
The WTO report revealed that the UAE’s combined goods and services trade has soared dramatically in just four years, climbing from $949 billion in 2021 to $1.637 trillion in 2025, as reported by the Emirates News Agency.
Goods trade alone reached $1.33 trillion, with exports accounting for 53 percent of that total. Meanwhile, services trade hit AED1.14 trillion, of which an impressive 61.4 percent represented service exports to global markets.
The result was a trade surplus of AED584.1 billion in 2025, up 19 percent from AED492.3 billion the previous year. By ranking, the UAE now stands 9th globally in goods exports and 13th in goods imports.
The report also highlighted exceptional growth in services foreign trade, which crossed the AED1 trillion threshold for the first time—a direct outcome of the nation’s proactive economic and trade policies. These policies, the WTO noted, have opened the UAE to the world, making it a role model in leadership, competitiveness, and openness.
In proportional terms, the UAE contributed 3.3 percent to global goods exports and 2.8 percent to global goods imports. In services, it accounted for 2 percent of world exports and 1.4 percent of imports.
In the fast-growing digital services sector, the UAE ranked 25th globally, with export values of US$33 billion—representing 0.6 percent of the world’s digital services exports and 17 percent of the UAE’s total services exports. Since 2014, the UAE has also maintained its regional leadership, ranking first among Middle Eastern and African nations in total trade with the world.
Minister of Foreign Trade, Thani Al Zeyoudi said, “The UAE’s top 10 ranking in goods exports for the first time in history is a testament to our nation’s competitiveness and a reflection of the world’s confidence in our economy. Despite the current geopolitical challenges, we are determined to build on this success and cement our position on the global trade map.”
He added that the strength and diversity of the UAE economy—particularly in service sectors such as financial services, logistics, hospitality, information technology, and transportation—have seen growth rates between 9 and 14 percent, demonstrating the economy’s resilience amid regional turbulence.
Al Zeyoudi explained that the UAE will continue expanding its trade partner network through the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement programme, which allows Emirati exporters, companies, and factories to reach new markets without barriers and enhances the global competitiveness of national products.
He also noted ongoing efforts to develop the legislative and regulatory framework and deploy modern technologies to improve supply chain efficiency.
Reaffirming the UAE’s commitment to international cooperation and the free flow of goods, services, and capital, he called for reforms to the WTO to keep pace with rapid global economic changes and ensure a fair, transparent system for all countries.
“The UAE is accustomed to turning challenges into opportunities,” Al Zeyoudi concluded, stressing that the nation will continue pursuing open economic policies prioritising sustainability and innovation to build a diversified economy. As proven in the recent past, the UAE’s foreign trade will demonstrate its resilience and continue its upward trajectory.
The WTO report also addressed headwinds facing global trade, particularly a projected slowdown in 2026 due to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and rising energy prices.
Goods trade growth is expected to ease to 1.9 percent in 2026 from 4.6 percent in 2025, before recovering to 2.6 percent in 2027. Services trade growth is forecast to slow to 4.8 percent in 2026, then accelerate to 5.1 percent in 2027. If energy prices continue climbing, goods trade could slow further to 1.4 percent and services to 4.1 percent in 2026.
For the UAE, however, the immediate story is one of historic ascent—a small nation that has turned itself into a global trade powerhouse.
