Non-oil sector drives strong UAE GDP growth

The UAE's gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 5.1 per cent in the first nine months of 2025, reaching around AED 1.4 trillion.

The figures were announced by Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism.

Growth was largely driven by the non-oil sector, which expanded by 6.1 per cent to more than AED 1 trillion, according to the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre (FCSC).

Al Marri said the strong performance reflects the country’s push towards a diversified, knowledge-based economy, in line with the 'We the UAE 2031' vision, which aims to double GDP to AED 3 trillion within the next decade.

Looking at individual sectors, financial and insurance activities recorded the fastest growth at 9 per cent. Construction followed at 8.7 per cent, real estate at 7.9 per cent, and manufacturing at 6.9 per cent.

Wholesale and retail trade remained the biggest contributor to non-oil GDP, making up just over 16 per cent, with manufacturing (13.9 per cent), financial services (13.5 per cent) and construction (11.9 per cent) also playing major roles.

Hanan Ahli, Managing Director of the FCSC, said the results highlight the resilience of the UAE’s economic model amid global changes, adding that advanced technologies and artificial intelligence are helping improve policy planning and efficiency.