The UAE has entered the world’s top 10 exporting nations for the first time, with total goods and services trade reaching AED6 trillion in 2025, according to the latest World Trade Organisation report.
DUBAI: The UAE has achieved a historic milestone, breaking into the world’s top 10 exporting nations for the first time, according to the latest figures from the World Trade Organisation’s World Trade Prospects and Statistics report. The achievement reflects the UAE’s growing stature as a vital hub on international supply chains and its expanding contribution to the global economy.
The WTO report revealed that the UAE’s goods and services trade rose sharply from AED3.5 trillion in 2021 to AED6 trillion in 2025. The country ranked ninth globally in goods exports and 13th in goods imports during 2025, with exports representing 53 percent of total goods trade. The UAE recorded a trade surplus of AED584.1 billion in 2025, up 19 percent from AED492.3 billion in 2024.
Services trade exceeded the AED1 trillion barrier for the first time, reaching AED1.14 trillion in 2025, of which 61.4 percent were service exports to global markets. In digital services, the UAE ranked 25th globally with exports valued at AED121.19 billion, contributing 0.6 percent of the world’s digital services exports. The UAE has maintained its position as the top trading nation in the Middle East and Africa since 2014.
Minister of Foreign Trade Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi described the ranking as a testament to the UAE’s competitiveness and a reflection of global confidence in the economy, pledging to build on the success despite current geopolitical pressures.
The WTO report cautioned that global goods trade growth is expected to slow to 1.9 percent in 2026, down from 4.6 percent in 2025, amid geopolitical tensions and rising energy prices.
