The UAE’s real GDP increased 3.9% year on year in the first quarter of 2025, reaching Dh455 billion ($123.9 billion), according to preliminary estimates from the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre. Non-oil GDP grew 5.3% to Dh352 billion, taking its contribution to 77.3% of total output, the highest on record. Oil-related activities accounted for 22.7%.
Manufacturing was the fastest-growing sector, expanding 7.7% in Q1. Finance and insurance, construction, and real estate all grew 7.0%, while trade rose 3.0%. The trade sector contributed 15.6% to non-oil GDP, followed by finance and insurance at 14.6%, manufacturing at 13.4%, construction at 12.0% and real estate at 7.4%.
Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri said the figures reflected the strength of the economy and its diversification drive under the “We the UAE 2031” vision, which targets Dh3 trillion in GDP by 2031. Hanan Mansour Ahli, Director of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre, said the results demonstrated progress in developing non-oil sectors on sustainable foundations and in supporting innovation-driven growth.
The IMF projects UAE GDP growth of about 4% for 2025, in line with Q1 performance. Abu Dhabi’s non-oil foreign trade rose 34.7% in the first half of 2025 to Dh195.4 billion, underlining the wider momentum in non-oil activity.
