Dubai maintained its strong economic performance in the first quarter of 2026, with the emirate's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) reaching AED232 billion ($63.17 billion), representing a 2.4% increase from the same period last year.
The GCC sovereigns’ stable credit quality is backed by strong, hydrocarbon-driven economic recovery in 2027. However, that prolonged geopolitical uncertainty could strain public finances and expose variances in sovereigns' fiscal ability to absorb lengthy disruptions, said S&P Global Rating.
The UAE's non-oil foreign trade surged by 13% during the first half to hit nearly AED2 trillion ($527.5 billion), driven by a surge in exports, said a report. The country’s non-oil exports jumped 24% from a year to hit AED452.8 billion ($123.3 billion), accounting for 23.4% of total non-oil trade.
The UAE economy has shown remarkable resilience to the conflict in the Middle East, supported by strong buffers, timely and well-targeted policy response including by the government and the CBUAE Financial Institution Resilience Package, and the rerouting of oil and other trade flows, an International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission has said.
Global trade in ocean-related services rose to $1.44 trillion in 2025, representing 58% of the $2.5 trillion ocean economy and surpassing goods as the dominant segment of ocean trade, according to new data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
Saudi Arabia's economy is expected to accelerate sharply in 2027 after a subdued performance this year, with Riyad Capital forecasting real GDP growth of 6.8% next year compared with 0.9% in 2026, driven by a recovery in oil production and continued expansion of non-oil sectors.
The UAE’s industrial strategy continues to deliver structural transformation across the national economy with the industrial sector alone contributing AED200 billion ($54.4 billion), up 70% since 2021; while industrial exports climbed to AED262 billion ($71 billion), said a top official.
UAE’s real GDP grew by 6.2% in 2025 over the previous year to hit AED1.9 trillion ($517 billion), thus reflecting the effectiveness of the country's strategy to develop a diversified and sustainable economic model, backed by robust growth in non-oil sectors, said a report.
The World Cement Association (WCA) is celebrating its 10th anniversary, a key milestone that reflects a decade of profound transformation for both the global cement industry and the wider world economy. Over the past ten years, the world has faced the Covid-19 pandemic, geopolitical conflicts and energy crises.
The GCC economies posted robust growth in the third quarter of 2025, driven by the non-oil sector as the region’s sustained push to diversify income sources gained further momentum.
