More than 8,000 new companies joined the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) during the first half of 2016, pushing its total membership to 193,000, a growth of 4.3 per cent in comparison to the same period last year.

The new additions take DCCI's, a non-profit public entity, overall membership closer to 200,000 while enhancing the chamber’s reputation as one of the largest chambers of commerce in the world, said a statement from the organisation.

According to a recent report on its half-year activities, while DCCI’s membership maintained a pace of sustained growth, its members’ total exports and re-exports reached Dh138 billion ($37.5 billion) with Saudi Arabia ranking as the top-most destination with members’ exports and re-exports in the region at Dh44 billion ($11.9 billion), it said.

Additionally, DCCI registered a growth of 2 per cent in the issuance of certificates of origin (COOs) in the first half of this year totalling more than 478,000, compared to 469,000 COOs issued during the same period last year.

Hamad Buamim, president and CEO of DCCI, said: “Dubai’s economy has once again showed its resilience in facing the adversities of global economic challenges while sustaining its trade sector which has time and again proved its competitiveness on a global level.”

“The emirate’s capability in reducing the effects of the global economic slowdown comes from its competence based on the economic diversity and the UAE's strategy to move away from oil resources which actually complements the vision of the country’s wise leadership in creating a competitive economic order,” he said.

He also stated that DCCI is putting the finishing touches to this year’s launch of its new strategy for 2016-2021 in line with the Dubai Plan 2021, to enhance the emirate’s lucrative business environment and the competitiveness of its businesses in the overseas markets. – TradeArabia News Service