Abu Dhabi Non-Oil Foreign Trade Rises 17.9% to AED 230.6 Billion in H1 2026

2026-09-02

Abu Dhabi’s non-oil foreign trade reached AED 230.6 billion in the first half of 2026, up 17.9% from AED 195.4 billion in the same period of 2025, according to Abu Dhabi Customs data reported on 2026-09-01. In June 2026 alone the emirate traded AED 28 billion worth of non-oil goods: exports including re-exports came to AED 15.3 billion, imports to AED 12.6 billion, leaving a trade surplus of AED 2.7 billion. The result builds on a record 2025, when Abu Dhabi’s non-oil foreign trade grew 36% to AED 415.4 billion and non-oil exports jumped 63% to AED 175.4 billion. For companies that import, export or re-export through the UAE, the message is simple: Abu Dhabi has become a trade corridor averaging about AED 38 billion a month, and it keeps growing at double-digit rates.

H1 2026 in numbers

The headline figures published by Abu Dhabi Customs for January to June 2026 are summarised in the table below.

Two points stand out. First, the 17.9% growth comes on top of an exceptionally strong base: in H1 2025 Abu Dhabi’s non-oil trade had already grown 34.7%, from AED 145 billion in H1 2024 to AED 195.4 billion. Second, June closed with exports and re-exports exceeding imports by AED 2.7 billion, which means the emirate is not simply a consumer market that buys goods from abroad, but a net shipper of non-oil products to the rest of the world.

June 2026: who Abu Dhabi trades with

The June breakdown shows the geography of the emirate’s supply chains. The five largest sources of imports were:

• Hong Kong: AED 1.6 billion
• Saudi Arabia: AED 1.2 billion
• Qatar: AED 797.6 million
• India: AED 646.1 million
• Singapore: AED 590 million

Two of the five are GCC neighbours, three are Asian trading hubs. On the export side, pearls, precious stones and precious metals led the month with AED 3.1 billion, a reminder that gold and jewellery flows remain a core part of the UAE’s non-oil trade, in Abu Dhabi as much as in Dubai. The pattern matches the emirate’s positioning as a transit point between the Gulf and Asia, with Khalifa Port and the KEZAD industrial zones operated by AD Ports Group as the physical backbone. AD Ports Group itself reported a record second quarter in 2026, which we covered in our article on AD Ports Group’s Q2 2026 results.

The 2025 base: a record year for Abu Dhabi’s non-oil trade

The 2026 numbers are best read against the full-year 2025 results that Abu Dhabi Customs published in spring 2026. Non-oil foreign trade for 2025 exceeded AED 415.4 billion, up 36% from about AED 306 billion in 2024. Within that total:

• non-oil exports rose 63% to AED 175.4 billion, from AED 107.8 billion in 2024;
• imports grew 22% to AED 170.4 billion, from AED 140.2 billion;
• re-exports increased 20% to AED 70 billion, from AED 58 billion.

The split by transport mode was remarkably even: 35% of the trade moved by land, 33.5% by air and 31.5% by sea. That balance is unusual for a port-centred economy and reflects Abu Dhabi’s land borders with Saudi Arabia and Oman, the cargo capacity of Zayed International Airport and the deep-water Khalifa Port. Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, described the 2025 performance as the result of “a system built for efficiency, scale and continuity”, while Rashed Lahej Al Mansoori, director general of Abu Dhabi Customs, linked it to policies that build “a competitive economic model”. Simple arithmetic, not a forecast: doubling the H1 2026 figure gives an annualised run-rate of about AED 461 billion, above the 2025 total.

Abu Dhabi inside the UAE’s AED 1.937 trillion first half

At federal level, the UAE’s non-oil foreign trade reached AED 1.937 trillion in H1 2026, up 13.1% year on year, with national non-oil exports at a record AED 452.8 billion (+23.9%), according to the UAE Government Media Office on 2026-07-19. China (AED 180.7 billion), Switzerland (AED 138.4 billion) and India (AED 107.5 billion) were the country’s largest partners, and trade with Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) countries came to AED 304.3 billion. Abu Dhabi’s AED 230.6 billion therefore represents roughly 12% of the national total, and the emirate is growing faster than the UAE as a whole: 17.9% against 13.1%. Dubai remains the country’s largest trading hub by volume, but the two emirates increasingly operate as one multimodal system of ports, airports, rail and road corridors, which we described in our overview of the UAE as a multimodal logistics hub.

What the numbers mean for trading businesses

Statistics matter to an entrepreneur only when they translate into decisions. Three practical takeaways from the H1 2026 data:

1. Abu Dhabi is a viable base for import and re-export operations, not only Dubai. Free zones such as KEZAD (Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi) next to Khalifa Port and the Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone offer bonded warehousing and licences for trading, logistics and light industry, while a mainland licence from the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development allows direct sales to customers across the UAE.
2. Precious metals and stones dominate export value. Trading in gold, jewellery and diamonds requires specific licence activities and brings the company under the UAE’s anti-money-laundering rules for dealers in precious metals and stones, with registration and reporting obligations that must be planned before the first transaction.
3. Supply chains run through Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, India and Singapore. Goods from Saudi Arabia and Qatar move within the GCC customs union, and imports from India can benefit from the UAE-India CEPA in force since 2022, provided the goods meet the rules of origin.

Whatever the route, a trading company in the UAE needs three things in place before its first shipment: a valid trade licence with the right activities, customs registration with the relevant customs authority, and a corporate bank account that can process letters of credit and international transfers. A short checklist:

• Choose the jurisdiction: mainland for direct sales inside the UAE, or a free zone for import, storage and re-export.
• Match licence activities to the goods: general trading covers most products, but food, pharmaceuticals, precious metals and several other categories need additional approvals.
• Register with customs and obtain the company’s customs code before the first consignment arrives.
• Open the corporate bank account early: banks assess trading companies on documented counterparties, contracts and expected volumes.
• Plan VAT from day one: registration becomes mandatory once taxable supplies exceed AED 375,000 a year, and imports are subject to 5% VAT with reverse-charge mechanics for registered businesses.

How Atlant Capital can help

Atlant Capital sets up trading companies in the UAE end to end. We help you choose between an Abu Dhabi or Dubai mainland licence and a free zone, register the company with the right activities through our company setup service, and assist with corporate bank account opening so your company can pay suppliers in Hong Kong or Mumbai and receive payments from buyers across the Gulf without delays. We also map out which customs and tax registrations your structure will need, so nothing blocks the first shipment, and arrange residency visas for shareholders and managers relocating to the UAE in the same workflow.

Conclusion

Abu Dhabi’s non-oil foreign trade of AED 230.6 billion in H1 2026, up 17.9%, extends a run that took the emirate from about AED 306 billion in 2024 to AED 415.4 billion in 2025. June’s AED 2.7 billion surplus, the AED 3.1 billion in exports of precious metals and stones, and an import mix led by Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, India and Singapore all point the same way: the capital is building a diversified trading economy alongside its energy base. For businesses, that means more infrastructure, more counterparties and one more reason to weigh Abu Dhabi alongside Dubai when choosing where to license a trading company in the UAE.

FAQ

How much was Abu Dhabi’s non-oil foreign trade in the first half of 2026?

Abu Dhabi’s non-oil foreign trade reached AED 230.6 billion in January to June 2026, up 17.9% from AED 195.4 billion in the first half of 2025, according to Abu Dhabi Customs data reported on 2026-09-01. In June 2026 alone the emirate’s non-oil trade amounted to AED 28 billion.

What were Abu Dhabi’s exports and imports in June 2026?

In June 2026 Abu Dhabi’s exports including re-exports totalled AED 15.3 billion and imports AED 12.6 billion, producing a trade surplus of AED 2.7 billion. The largest export category was pearls, precious stones and precious metals at AED 3.1 billion. The top import sources were Hong Kong (AED 1.6 billion), Saudi Arabia (AED 1.2 billion), Qatar (AED 797.6 million), India (AED 646.1 million) and Singapore (AED 590 million).

How did Abu Dhabi’s non-oil trade perform in 2025?

In 2025 Abu Dhabi’s non-oil foreign trade grew 36% to more than AED 415.4 billion, from about AED 306 billion in 2024. Non-oil exports rose 63% to AED 175.4 billion, imports grew 22% to AED 170.4 billion and re-exports increased 20% to AED 70 billion. By transport mode, 35% of trade moved by land, 33.5% by air and 31.5% by sea.

Can a foreign investor set up a trading company in Abu Dhabi?

Yes. Most trading activities allow 100% foreign ownership both on the Abu Dhabi mainland and in free zones such as KEZAD near Khalifa Port. The company needs a trade licence with the right activities, customs registration and a corporate bank account, and must register for VAT once taxable supplies exceed AED 375,000 a year. Advisers such as Atlant Capital can align the licence, corporate structure, bank account and residency visas in one process.