Dubai’s three economic zones under the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ) recorded a new benchmark in trade during the first half of 2026, marking the sixth consecutive year of growth in that period. Data released on Sunday showed that total trade surged 17 percent year-on-year to reach AED 246 billion (approximately $67 billion).
A significant driver of this increase was re-exports, which grew 22 percent to AED 108.8 billion, accounting for around 44 percent of DIEZ’s total trade value. Imports also increased, rising 14 percent to AED 134.8 billion and representing roughly 55 percent of the total trade. Direct exports constituted a smaller fraction, totaling about AED 2.4 billion during the period. The faster growth rate for re-exports compared to imports highlights the importance of onward trade in bolstering the authority’s overall performance.
Despite the rise in trade value, the physical volume of goods handled declined. Total weight processed through DIEZ’s zones dropped by approximately 9.4 percent to about 270,000 tonnes, down from nearly 298,000 tonnes in the first half of 2025. This discrepancy between value and volume suggests a shift in the composition of traded goods toward higher-value, lower-weight items, including machinery and precious goods.
DIEZ attributed the sustained trade flows to the integrated logistics infrastructure across its zones, which has enabled businesses to adapt to changing shipping routes and supply chain disruptions. Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of DIEZ, emphasized the economic ecosystem’s resilience and adaptability to fluctuations in global trade and supply chains. “This enables us to respond effectively to shifts in global trade flows and supply chains,” he said, underscoring the role of advanced infrastructure and logistics capabilities.
China remained DIEZ’s largest trading partner, with trade valued at AED 69.8 billion, representing 28.4 percent of total trade—surpassing the combined trade volumes with Saudi Arabia, India, and Vietnam. Saudi Arabia was the second-largest market at AED 26.3 billion (10.8 percent), followed by India at AED 17.6 billion (7.2 percent), and Vietnam at AED 13.2 billion (5.4 percent). Together, these four countries accounted for over half (51.7 percent) of DIEZ’s trade in the first half of the year.
The share of DIEZ’s trade in Dubai’s non-oil trade expanded by about 0.6 percentage points, reaching approximately 16 percent compared with 15.4 percent in the corresponding period of 2025. This growth aligns with the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33), aimed at diversifying and strengthening the emirate’s economy.
Dr Mohammed Al Zarooni, Executive Chairman of DIEZ, noted that the results reflect confidence among stakeholders in the authority’s integrated model for supporting business continuity amid changing supply chain dynamics. He added that the focus moving forward would be on maintaining economic momentum and expanding the strategic gains secured in these six years of sustained growth.