Saudi Arabia still Dubai’s largest Arab trading partner, reveals government data

Fountain at the Dubai World Trade Centre (Shutterstock)
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DUBAI: Dubai’s trade with Saudi Arabia grew 26 percent to 30.5 billion dirhams in the first half of 2021, making it the emirate’s biggest trading partner in the Arab world.

China, however, remains the emirate’s biggest trading partner in the world in terms of value - increasing by 30.7 percent to 86 billion dirhams in the six months to July. India is the second largest, with trade value growing 74.5 percent to 67.1 billion dirhams. 

Overall, the non-oil foreign trade of Dubai grew 31 percent year-on-year in the first half 2021 to 722.3 billion dirhams ($196.66 billion), the media office reported. 

“This marked growth in trade demonstrates the success of Dubai's strategic plan to consolidate its position as a global logistics and trade hub that connects the world's diverse markets,” Hamdan Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Dubai crown prince, said. 

Exports value was 109.8 billion dirhams, a 45 percent growth, while imports rose 29.3 percent to 414 billion dirhams. Re-exports were up 28.3 percent to 198.6 million in the same period.