The UAE’s non-oil economy expanded in the first half of 2026, with financial services, technology and healthcare among the strongest-performing sectors according to preliminary data from the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre (FCSC).
Non-oil GDP grew 1.8% year on year, accounting for 79.2% of total economic output, up from 78.1% in the first half of 2025. Overall real GDP increased 0.4% to AED 961.9B at constant prices.
Financial Services Leads Growth
Financial and insurance activities recorded the strongest growth among major sectors, expanding 14.8%. Information and communications grew 7.3%, while health and social work increased 6%.
Construction expanded 5.1% in the first half while real estate activity grew 2.3%, indicating continued expansion across both sectors.
Dubai Property Market Under Pressure
However, Dubai’s residential property market recorded a sharp slowdown in the third quarter, according to figures cited in the report.
Home sales totalled AED 72.6B ($19.7B) in the three months to the end of September, down 47% year on year, while transaction volumes fell 38% to 34,000.
The figures point to a more uneven outlook for the UAE economy as businesses navigate regional uncertainty, even as non-oil industries account for a growing share of economic output.
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