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The Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre reported that real gross domestic product reached Dh485 billion in the first quarter of 2026, up from Dh470.9 billion a year earlier. Non-oil GDP expanded 4.8 percent during the period and increased its contribution to overall output from 78 percent in the first quarter of 2025. The centre’s figures show that growth persisted despite regional challenges that affected only a limited number of activities.
Financial and insurance activities recorded the fastest expansion at 17.3 percent, according to the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre, and contributed 2.44 percentage points to non-oil growth. Construction grew 8.1 percent and added 1.04 percentage points while human health and social work activities rose 7.7 percent. Wholesale and retail trade along with real estate activities also posted gains that the centre quantified at 0.42 and 0.36 percentage points respectively.
These first-quarter results build on full-year 2025 figures from the same centre that showed overall GDP expanding 6.2 percent to Dh1.9 trillion with non-oil GDP climbing 6.8 percent to Dh1.5 trillion. Construction led sectoral growth in 2025 at 11.1 percent followed by financial and insurance activities at 10.4 percent, the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre data indicated. Trade accounted for the largest share of non-oil GDP in 2025 at 16.9 percent.
The Central Bank of the UAE projected in an April 2026 report that the economy would grow 5.6 percent for the full year, supported primarily by non-hydrocarbon sectors including finance, manufacturing and construction. Later assessments from the Central Bank of the UAE revised the 2026 outlook to 1.6 percent overall while still anticipating positive non-oil momentum. The bank highlighted sustained expansion in financial services and infrastructure spending as key drivers.
Non-oil foreign trade reached a record Dh1.937 trillion in the first six months of 2026, a 13.1 percent increase from the same period a year earlier, Gulf News reported citing official statistics. Non-oil exports within that total rose 23.9 percent to Dh452.8 billion. The Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre has consistently presented such trade data as evidence of broadening economic activity beyond hydrocarbons.
Minister of Economy Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri stated that the latest performance reflects the success of policies aimed at building a diversified and competitive economy. The minister’s comments, carried by state news agency WAM, tied the non-oil share increase to long-term strategies under the We the UAE 2031 vision. Separate Central Bank of the UAE analysis noted that non-oil sectors now form the foundation for medium-term growth forecasts extending into 2027.
