Countries / Gulf / United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates

High income · Hydrocarbon exporter · Data availability: good

The Gulf’s diversification success story: oil now shares the stage with trade, aviation, finance, tourism, and real estate, with Dubai as the region’s commercial hub and Abu Dhabi holding the hydrocarbon wealth. A magnet for expatriate labor and capital flows.

Alerts · what moved recentlyAll signals →

Policy reform

The Ministry of Finance amended e-invoicing rules to ease compliance burdens on businesses.

Oct 19, 2026 · Ministry of Finance of the UAE

Financing

The UAE Cabinet approved a AED292.5 billion federal budget for 2027–2029.

Oct 12, 2026 · UAE Cabinet

Trade measure

UAE-EAEU Economic Partnership Agreement entered into force

Oct 6, 2026 · Emirates News Agency

Vitals

Core figures — the latest value each source holds, the previous reading and the bloc median.

GDP

$552.3B

as of 2024

up from $522.6B (2023)

Gulf median $160.9B

Real GDP growth

4.0%

as of 2024

down from 4.3% (2023)

Gulf median 2.6%

Inflation, year-on-year

2.0%

as of Dec 2025

up from 1.6% (Nov 2025)

Gulf median 1.8%

GDP per person

$50,274

as of 2024

up from $49,851 (2023)

Gulf median $32,856

Dimmed cards hold figures more than a year old. All of this country's data in the Database →

Quarterly report

Written once from the quarter's findings, then frozen.

All reports →

Q3 2026 · United Arab Emirates

ARE — Q3 2026 brief

The Q3 2026 findings documented annual changes in the UAE through 2025 rather than movements within July–September 2026. GDP at purchasing-power parity rose for 4 straight years, from $627.9 billion in 2020 to $871.7 billion in 2024, an increase of 39%.

Read the full report

Editions

Q3 2026→

All publications

Signals & patterns

Everything MENACodex detects for this economy — the lead finding charted, the rest filtered by pattern and sector.

PatternSector

Outlier · Prices & money

The UAE's broad money as a share of GDP reached 114% in 2024, 55 points above its 1990–2023 average of 58.8%. A gap that large has not appeared in the past 35 years.

Broad money (% of GDP)114

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators · data through 2024

OutlierThe UAE's outward foreign direct investment as a share of GDP reached 14.0% in 2024, 12 points above its 1990–2023 average of 2.09%. A gap that large has not appeared in the past 35 years.

data through 2024

TrendThe UAE's GDP at purchasing-power parity has risen for 4 straight years, from $627.9 billion in 2020 to $871.7 billion in 2024: up 39%.

data through 2024

OutlierThe UAE's secure internet servers rose 98% in 2024, against a usual yearly rise of 30%. A change that large has not appeared since 2010.

data through 2024

TrendThe UAE's total fisheries production has fallen for 6 straight years, from 78,845 tonnes in 2018 to 60,641 in 2024: down 23%.

data through 2024

TrendGrowth in The UAE's credit to the private sector as a share of broad money has risen for 5 straight years, from -2.17% in 2020 to 6.28% in 2025: up 8.4 points.

data through 2025

Signal archive →

Briefs

Analysis pieces on United Arab Emirates, every number checked against the source.

All briefs on United Arab Emirates →

stock market index, local currency

UAE stocks remain 12% below February peak as rebound stalls

stock market index, local currency (index)345

Nov 1, 2026 · 2 min read

Agenda Watch

Official decisions and what the news is reporting, with the original source named.

Date	Decision	Type	Source
Oct 19, 2026	The Ministry of Finance amended e-invoicing rules to ease compliance burdens on businesses.	Policy reform	Ministry of Finance of the UAE (wam.ae)
Oct 14, 2026	The Capital Market Authority enhanced access to capital-market regulations.	Policy reform	UAE Capital Market Authority (uaecma.gov.ae)
Oct 12, 2026	The UAE Cabinet approved a AED292.5 billion federal budget for 2027–2029.	Financing	UAE Cabinet (wam.ae)
Oct 9, 2026	Finance Ministry issued new eInvoicing provider accreditation rules	Policy reform	Ministry of Finance of the United Arab Emirates (mof.gov.ae)
Oct 6, 2026	UAE-EAEU Economic Partnership Agreement entered into force	Trade measure	Emirates News Agency (wam.ae)
Oct 2, 2026	Finance Ministry listed its second sovereign retail T-Sukuk on Nasdaq Dubai	Financing	Ministry of Finance of the United Arab Emirates (mof.gov.ae)
Sep 23, 2026	The central bank barred Bank Melli Iran's UAE branches from conducting financial transactions with Iran.	Sanctions	Central Bank of the UAE (wam.ae)
Sep 22, 2026	The UAE priced a targeted AED 50 million five-year retail Treasury sukuk offering at a 5.06% annual profit rate.	Financing	UAE Ministry of Finance (mof.gov.ae)
Sep 16, 2026	Dubai approved the New Fourth Corridor road project, with its first phase costing approximately AED 3.5 billion.	Financing	Dubai Executive Council (pddportalstg.dubai.gov.ae)
Sep 8, 2026	The UAE amended its VAT Executive Regulation, including input-tax recovery and apportionment rules.	Policy reform	UAE Ministry of Finance (mof.gov.ae)
Aug 25, 2026	The UAE issued mandatory Pillar Two information-return filing rules for entities within its multinational top-up tax regime.	Policy reform	UAE Ministry of Finance (mof.gov.ae)
Aug 19, 2026	The UAE halted all trade, commercial exchanges and financial transactions with Iran until further notice.	Sanctions	UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (mofa.gov.ae)
Aug 7, 2026	The UAE extended small-business tax relief through 2029 while retaining the AED 3 million revenue threshold.	Policy reform	UAE Ministry of Finance (mof.gov.ae)
Aug 3, 2026	The Ministry of Finance adopted Aani and Jaywan for payments of federal service fees and fines.	Policy reform	UAE Ministry of Finance (mof.gov.ae)

Development plan

We the UAE 2031 · what the government promised, its own latest figures, and how far they have come.

Full plan, all 9 goals ↓

Economy

3 of the plan's goals

GDP1.88 AED tn

1.49 AED tn at startTarget 3 AED tn

Non-oil exports561.2 AED bn

366 AED bn at startTarget 800 AED bn

Non-oil foreign trade3 AED tn

2.23 AED tn at startTarget 4 AED tn

Other goals

3 of the plan's goals

Tourism's contribution to GDP257.3 AED bn

220 AED bn at startTarget 450 AED bn

Non-oil share of GDP75.5%

69% at startTarget 80%

Human Development Index rank15 rank

26 rank at startTarget 10 rank

The full plan: every goal, the government's figures and the independent series beside them

Development plan

We the UAE 2031

UAE Government (Ministry of Cabinet Affairs) · launched 2022, horizon 2031 · 9 measurable goals, 8 with a reported figure, 1 reached · plan document · latest progress report

Launched 22 November 2022 at the UAE Government Annual Meetings as the ten-year plan under UAE Centennial 2071; four pillars (Forward Society, Forward Economy, Forward Diplomacy, Forward Ecosystem). Progress is tracked internally through national performance indicators; the only public statement is the minister's 'two-thirds of targets achieved' of November 2025.

Progress bars run from the baseline the plan now tracks to its current target. Government figures are as reported by the government; where an independent source measures the same thing, its figure is shown beside them.

1GDPAED 1.88 trillion in 2023
AED 1.49 trillion (2021)
AED 3 trillion by 2031
As reported by the government
2022: AED 1.86 trillion (FCSC23)2023: AED 1.88 trillion (EME23, press report)
Independent figure
World Bank — World Development Indicators, GDP: 552,324,919,096 in 2024
Check
The independent series measures something close but not the same; shown for context, not as a check. In 2023: government AED 1.88 trillion, independent AED 522622268401.13 trillion. World Bank GDP in current US dollars; the dirham is pegged at 3.6725, so the two move together.
Official status
About AED 1.86 trillion in 2022 and AED 1.88 trillion in 2023 at current prices. Figures quoted for 2024 (AED 1.776 trillion) and 2025 (AED 1.9 trillion) do not state their price basis and are not entered.
Tracked as
GDP
As printed in the plan
Double the country's GDP from AED 1.49 trillion to AED 3 trillion (UAE-PAGE (Forward Economy / Forward Society))
Note
GDP at current prices (Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre). The plan's AED 1.49 trillion baseline carries no year; it matches 2021.
2Non-oil exportsAED 561.2 billion in 2024
AED 366 billion (2022)
AED 800 billion by 2031
As reported by the government
2022: AED 366 billion (AGBI23, press report)2023: AED 441 billion (GB24, press report)2024: AED 561.2 billion (DXB-TRADE25)
Check
No independent source measures this goal. World Bank merchandise exports include oil and re-exports; not comparable.
Official status
AED 441 billion in 2023; AED 561 billion in 2024 (+27.6%); AED 369.5 billion in the first half of 2025 (+44.7%).
Tracked as
Non-oil exports
As printed in the plan
Generate AED 800 billion in non-oil exports (UAE-PAGE (Forward Economy / Forward Society))
Note
Non-oil goods exports, excluding re-exports (Ministry of Economy / FCSC). The plan prints no baseline; the earliest official figure is used as one and marked so.
3Non-oil foreign tradeAED 3 trillion in 2024
AED 2.23 trillion (2022)
AED 4 trillion by 2031
As reported by the government
2022: AED 2.23 trillion (AGBI23, press report)2024: AED 3 trillion (DXB-TRADE25)
Check
No independent source measures this goal. World Bank trade series include oil and services; not comparable.
Official status
AED 2.997 trillion in 2024 (+14.6%), described by the government as 75% of the target; AED 1.7 trillion in the first half of 2025 (+24%).
Tracked as
Non-oil foreign trade
As printed in the plan
Raise the value of the UAE's foreign trade to AED 4 trillion (UAE-PAGE (Forward Economy / Forward Society))
Note
Non-oil goods trade — exports, re-exports and imports (Ministry of Economy); the government measures the target on this series (2024 described as 75% of the way). The plan prints no baseline; the earliest official figure is used as one and marked so.
4Tourism's contribution to GDPAED 257.3 billion in 2024
AED 220 billion (2023)
AED 450 billion by 2031
As reported by the government
2023: AED 220 billion (MOET24)2024: AED 257.3 billion (DXB-TOUR25)
Check
No independent source measures this goal. World Bank international tourism receipts (US dollars) are visitor spending only, a narrower measure than the WTTC contribution.
Official status
About AED 220 billion (11.7% of GDP) in 2023; AED 257.3 billion (13%) in 2024.
Tracked as
Tourism's contribution to GDP
As printed in the plan
Raise the contribution of the tourism sector to the GDP to AED 450 billion (UAE-PAGE (Forward Economy / Forward Society))
Note
Total contribution of travel and tourism to GDP as measured by the World Travel & Tourism Council, which the Ministry of Economy and Tourism cites. The plan prints no baseline; the earliest official figure is used as one and marked so.
5Non-oil share of GDP75.5% in 2024
69% (2015)
80% by 2031
As reported by the government
2023: 74.3% (EME23, press report)2024: 75.5% (GN25, press report)
Check
No independent source measures this goal. No international series splits out non-oil GDP for the UAE.
Official status
74.3% in 2023, 75.5% in 2024 (FCSC via press); 77.5% in the first half of 2025 per the minister.
Tracked as
Non-oil share of GDP
As printed in the plan
Non-oil sectors to make up 80% of GDP by 2031 (stated by the Minister of Cabinet Affairs, November 2025; not on the plan page) (KT-67 (ministerial statement))
Note
Share of GDP from non-oil activities. The minister gave 69% as the 2015 starting point; whether the series is at current or constant prices is not stated.
6Human Development Index rank15th in 2025
26th (2022)
10th by 2031
As reported by the government
2022: 26th (KT-HDI, press report)2025: 15th (KT-HDI, press report)
Check
No independent source measures this goal. UNDP; not in the catalogue.
Official status
15th in the 2025 report (HDI 0.940), up eight places.
Tracked as
Human Development Index rank
As printed in the plan
One of the top 10 countries globally in the Human Development Index (UAE-PAGE (Forward Economy / Forward Society))
Note
UNDP Human Development Report rank. The plan prints no baseline; the earliest official figure is used as one and marked so.
7Global talent rankingReached in 2025
17th (2024)
10th by 2031
As reported by the government
2024: 17th (IMD-WTR, press report)2025: 9th (IMD-WTR, press report)
Check
No independent source measures this goal. IMD; not in the catalogue.
Official status
9th of 69 in the 2025 IMD World Talent Ranking — inside the top 10.
Tracked as
Global talent ranking
As printed in the plan
Among the top 10 countries in attracting global talent (UAE-PAGE (Forward Economy / Forward Society))
Note
The plan names no index; the government cites the IMD World Talent Ranking. The plan prints no baseline; the earliest official figure is used as one and marked so.
8Global Food Security Index rank23th in 2022
23th (2022)
10th by 2031
As reported by the government
2021: 35th (UAE-GFSI)2022: 23th (UAE-GFSI)
Check
No independent source measures this goal. Economist Impact; discontinued after 2022.
Official status
23rd in the 2022 edition, the last one published.
Tracked as
Global Food Security Index rank
As printed in the plan
One of the top 10 countries in the Global Food Security Index (UAE-PAGE (Forward Economy / Forward Society))
Note
Economist Impact Global Food Security Index. The 2022 edition is the last published, so the goal cannot move until the index is revived.
9Global Cybersecurity Index rankNo progress figure reported
5th (2020)
3rd by 2031
Check
No independent source measures this goal. ITU; ranks no longer published.
Official status
Top tier ('role-modelling') with a score of 100 in the 2024 edition, which gives no numeric rank.
Tracked as
Global Cybersecurity Index rank
As printed in the plan
One of the top three countries in the Global Cybersecurity Index (UAE-PAGE (Forward Economy / Forward Society))
Note
ITU Global Cybersecurity Index. Since the 2024 edition the ITU publishes tiers rather than ranks; the UAE sits in the top tier with a full score.

Explore the data

Every series we hold for United Arab Emirates, by sector — open one in the Database to chart it against its neighbours.

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Economy & growth

GDP, output, investment, savings · 235 series

Open indicators →Prices & money

Inflation, policy rate, money, exchange rate · 21 series

Open indicators →Trade & external

Exports, imports, reserves, current account · 51 series

Open indicators →Public finance

Revenue, spending, debt, balance · 42 series

Open indicators →Financial sector

Credit, banks, markets · 54 series

Open indicators →Energy & environment

Oil, gas, power, emissions · 93 series

Open indicators →Technology & infrastructure

Internet, mobile, transport · 34 series

Open indicators →People

Population, jobs, health, education · 46 series

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Ask about United Arab Emirates Coming soon

Answers only from MENACodex's data on United Arab Emirates, every claim linked to its source. The question box opens when the analyst is ready; these are examples of what it will answer.

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What has changed in United Arab Emirates recently?Signals, briefs and decisions, with their sources

What did last quarter add up to?Drawn from the quarterly report

What did the government decide this year?From the Agenda Watch record

How does United Arab Emirates compare with its neighbours?Any series against the bloc median