By Khalid Khattak
For decades, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was known for its oil wealth. The discovery of oil in the mid-20th century fueled rapid growth and created a high standard of living, shaping the UAE’s reputation on the global stage.
And now, the UAE’s booming non-oil foreign trade is reshaping that narrative. A recent story by The National on the UAE’s non-oil foreign trade demonstrates how numbers can bring such a transformation into sharp focus. The story quotes some stats shared by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, according to which UAE’s non-oil foreign trade reached AED 1.7 trillion ($462.8 billion) in just the first half of 2025—a 24% surge from the previous year while the average growth of global trade was only about 1.75%.
This data makes the abstract concept of economic diversification tangible and measurable. It shows a nation’s progress clearly by quantifying growth across sectors and trade partnerships with countries like Switzerland (+120%) and India (+33%).
Today, I reviewed the data for the first half of this year regarding the UAE's non-oil foreign trade. It achieved significant growth of 24% compared to the first half of the previous year, while the average growth of global trade was only about 1.75%.
Our non-oil foreign trade…
— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) July 30, 2025
These figures underscore a major economic shift, showing how far the UAE has come in moving beyond oil. The data makes the idea of economic diversification real and measurable.
For journalists covering business and data-driven stories, this is a prime example of how numbers can bring depth and clarity:
- Trustworthy Reporting: Hard facts build credibility.
- Reader Engagement: Big, clear numbers grab attention and simplify complex trends.
- Global Context: A 24% growth in UAE’s non-oil trade compared to the global average of 1.75% reveals just how exceptional the UAE’s progress is.
That said, one thing the original article missed was a simple explanation of what “non-oil foreign trade” actually includes. For international readers unfamiliar with UAE’s economic terms, this could be confusing. A brief breakdown of what goods and services fall under this category, like technology, real estate, tourism, and manufacturing, would have made the story clearer and more inclusive.
