The goal has always been clear: make the economy about more than just oil. Well, mission accomplished. In the first half of 2025 alone, the UAE’s non-oil foreign trade with the world’s biggest economies (the G20) blew past $231 billion, jumping a massive 19.2% in a year.
The total non-oil trade for the entire country hit an incredible AED 1.728 trillion ($470.3 billion), with a growth rate of 24%. When the rest of the world’s trade is barely inching forward, the UAE is sprinting.
The All-Star Partnerships
These numbers aren’t happening in a vacuum; they’re powered by key relationships. Think of the UAE as the world’s favorite meeting spot, making deals happen with lightning speed.
The trade connections that are driving this boom:
India: This is the one to watch. Non-oil trade with India surged by a vigorous 33.9%. Non-oil exports to India practically doubled, showing a massive 97.6% growth!
Türkiye: Trade with Türkiye shot up over 41.4%.
The United States: Even with the giants, the US saw its non-oil trade with the UAE climb by a strong 29%.
Switzerland: For a surprising win, trade with Switzerland absolutely exploded with a whopping 120% growth.
The “CEPA” Fast Track
So, how is the UAE doing this while other countries struggle? The answer is: the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) program.
These aren’t just polite handshakes; they are fast-track free trade deals that give UAE goods and services special access to huge markets. The UAE has already signed 28 CEPAs, with 10 of them now active and already proving to be a highly effective model for boosting global economic cooperation.
The Real Win
The biggest headline here isn’t just the sheer volume of trade, but what the UAE is selling.
For the first time, the country’s own non-oil national exports were the rock stars of the show. They soared by 44.7% to reach AED 369.5 billion.
This means that “Made in UAE” is a powerful label now, as non-oil exports account for 21.4% of the country’s total non-oil trade.
The takeaway is clear: the UAE isn’t just a place where things pass through; it’s a place where things are made, grown, and sent out to the world. The commitment to economic diversity is no longer a plan—it’s a phenomenal success story.
