UAE free zone exports amounted to AED225.5 billion ($61.2 billion) in 2017, a growth of 6.6 percent from the previous year, according to the UAE Central Bank.
Its annual report said the free zone exports accounted for 19.5 percent of the country’s total exports last year, and comprised 16 percent of the trade balance.
State news agency WAM reported that UAE free zones now represent a robust catalyst for economic growth following significant investments in them over the past decades.
The past three years saw some discrepancy in the free zone export volume, which fell to AED211.4 billion in 2016 before rebounding last year, it added.
There are 37 free zones operating in the UAE that leverage the country’s positioning as a key regional trade and financial hub.
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