The UAE consolidated its position in 2025 as one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, underpinned by strong non-oil activity, rising foreign and domestic investment, and a flexible, pro-business regulatory environment.
Key indicators across trade, banking, GDP and investment strategies point to sustained economic momentum.
Non-oil foreign trade rose 24.5 per cent in the first half of 2025 to AED1.7tn ($463bn), around 14 times the global growth rate, reinforcing the UAE’s status as a global trade hub.
UAE economy
The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) World Investment Report 2025 ranked the UAE 10th globally for inbound foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2024, with inflows of AED167.6bn ($45.7bn).
The International Monetary Fund raised its 2025 growth forecast for the UAE to 4.8 per cent, while Fitch, Moody’s and S&P Global affirmed the country’s sovereign ratings, citing strong economic performance and sound fiscal policy.
Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) data showed that gross banks’ assets increased to AED5,199.9bn ($1.42tn) at the end of September 2025. Gross credit rose to AED2,478.8bn ($675.6bn) over the same period.
CBUAE also launched the UAE National Financial Inclusion Strategy 2026–2030, aimed at expanding access to financial services and strengthening financial stability.
UAE GDP growth
Real GDP grew 4.2 per cent year-on-year to AED929bn ($253.2bn) in the first half of 2025. Non-oil GDP rose 5.7 per cent to AED720bn ($196.2bn), accounting for 77.5 per cent of real GDP, while oil activity contributed 22.5 per cent.
In industry, the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology signed five memoranda of understanding with national banks to provide more than AED40bn ($10.9bn) in financing.
The fourth edition of the Make it in the Emirates platform concluded with industrial projects exceeding AED11bn ($3.0bn) and record attendance of more than 122,000 visitors.
UAE investment drive
The Cabinet approved the National Investment Strategy 2031, comprising 12 programmes and 30 initiatives. The strategy aims to raise annual foreign investment inflows from AED112bn ($30.5bn) in 2023 to AED240bn ($65.4bn) by 2031, while expanding the UAE’s total foreign investment stock from AED800bn ($218.0bn) to AED2.2tn ($599bn).
The Cabinet also approved the establishment of the National Investment Fund, with initial capital of AED36.7bn ($10.0bn), alongside the UAE Strategy for Islamic Finance and Halal Industry, designed to strengthen the country’s global hub positioning.
Entrepreneurship and trade
In 2025, the UAE launched the UAE Future 50 initiative across 15 sectors, alongside a national campaign positioning the country as a global capital for entrepreneurs, targeting the training and incubation of 10,000 entrepreneurs.
More than 220,000 new companies were registered between January and the end of November, alongside more than 36,000 new trademarks, up 48.2 per cent year-on-year.
The UAE also strengthened its role as a global trade gateway through expanded comprehensive economic partnership agreements, the launch of the UAE Global Centre of Trade programme targeting the world’s top 1,000 international trading companies, and the introduction of a digital gateway connecting thousands of UAE exporters to global markets.
By the end of September, the United Arab Emirates had 402,311 registered national and international trademarks. Nearly 20,000 trademarks were registered in the first half of 2025, up 129 per cent from a year earlier.
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