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The Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre placed real GDP at Dh485 billion for the January-to-March period, a 3 percent increase from the year-earlier quarter. Non-oil GDP expanded 4.8 percent over the same interval and now accounts for the bulk of output. The centre’s figures show the non-oil share rose from 78 percent in the prior comparable period, underscoring continued economic diversification.
Financial activities grew 17.3 percent and contributed 2.44 percentage points to overall expansion, the centre’s breakdown showed. Construction posted 8.1 percent growth and added further momentum to the quarter. These gains helped offset more modest performances in other areas while reinforcing the non-oil sector’s dominant role.
The centre reported that non-oil exports rose 23.9 percent in the first half of 2026, reaching Dh452.8 billion. That trade performance aligns with broader efforts to expand markets beyond hydrocarbons. Officials have tied such results to policies aimed at widening the economic base.
The Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre noted that current results follow the 6.2 percent full-year GDP expansion recorded for 2025, when the economy reached AED1.9 trillion. Non-oil output climbed 6.8 percent that year to AED1.5 trillion, according to the same agency. The International Monetary Fund has projected real GDP growth of roughly 3.1 percent for the full 2026 calendar year.
UAE authorities are working with international institutions to revise the GDP methodology, the centre said. Results for the first quarter remain based on the existing framework. An updated time series will be issued once the revision process concludes.
Minister of Cabinet Affairs Mohammad Bin Abdullah Al Gergawi said, “The Q1 2026 results reflect the ability of the UAE’s government work system to translate the wise leadership’s strategic vision into tangible economic results that serve people and the future.” Minister of Economy Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri added that the figures demonstrate the economy’s robustness and competitiveness at regional and global levels.
Dubai’s economy, which forms a substantial part of national output, grew 2.4 percent in the first quarter to AED232 billion, according to data published by the Dubai Media Office. That emirate-level performance, released in July, showed strength in financial services, construction and health services. The national aggregate incorporates similar trends across the remaining emirates.
