Signal · Geopolitical Risk

‎Abu Dhabi July non-oil trade down 22%

Argaam - UAE News Trade press Published 5th October 2026 UAE

What the source reported

Source-reported

‎<img src="https://argaamplus.s3.amazonaws.com/906f1ed3-be74-4cd3-aa1a-e8e6e9d77783.png" > Khalifa Port in Abu Dhabi <hr> Abu Dhabi's non-oil foreign trade fell 22% to AED 27.4 billion in July 2026, compared to AED 35.1 billion in the same period of 2025. According to the latest figures issued by the Abu Dhabi Statistics Centre, in July Abu Dhabi's trade comprised AED 14.6 billion in imports, AED 7.2 billion in non-oil exports, and AED 5.6 billion in re-exports. <table align="center" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" dir="ltr" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr > <td colspan="4" > Abu Dhabi non-oil foreign trade, July 2026 (AED bln) </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Trade </td> <td > July 2025 </td> <td > July 2026* </td> <td > Change </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Imports </td> <td > 13.81 </td> <td > 14.60 </td> <td > +6% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Non-oil exports </td> <td > 16.13 </td> <td > 7.16 </td> <td > (56%) </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Re-exports </td> <td > 5.19 </td> <td > 5.62 </td> <td > +8% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Total </td> <td > 35.13 </td> <td > 27.38 </td> <td > (22%) </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <div class="ckeCaption" >*Preliminary data</div> <table align="center" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" dir="ltr" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr > <td colspan="5" > Non-oil foreign trade results for Abu Dhabi since 2024 (AED bln) </td> <td > </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Period </td> <td > Exports </td> <td > Imports </td> <td > Re-exports </td> <td > Total </td> <td > YoY change </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Jan. 2024 </td> <td > 5.63 </td> <td > 11.20 </td> <td > 4.85 </td> <td > 21.68 </td> <td > (11%) </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Feb. </td> <td > 6.82 </td> <td > 10.31 </td> <td > 4.82 </td> <td > 21.95 </td> <td > (11%) </td> </tr> <tr > <td > March </td> <td > 7.74 </td> <td > 15.09 </td> <td > 4.65 </td> <td > 27.48 </td> <td > +14% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > April </td> <td > 6.15 </td> <td > 9.34 </td> <td > 3.23 </td> <td > 18.72 </td> <td > (5%) </td> </tr> <tr > <td > May </td> <td > 13.05 </td> <td > 13.17 </td> <td > 5.26 </td> <td > 31.48 </td> <td > +8% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > June </td> <td > 8.54 </td> <td > 11.33 </td> <td > 3.83 </td> <td > 23.70 </td> <td > +6% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > July </td> <td > 8.97 </td> <td > 12.17 </td> <td > 4.20 </td> <td > 25.34 </td> <td > +11 % </td> </tr> <tr > <td > August </td> <td > 10.21 </td> <td > 11.75 </td> <td > 4.56 </td> <td > 26.52 </td> <td > +8 % </td> </tr> <tr > <td > September </td> <td > 10.06 </td> <td > 11.04 </td> <td > 4.84 </td> <td > 25.94 </td> <td > +20% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > October </td> <td > 10.08 </td> <td > 11.40 </td> <td > 5.56 </td> <td > 27.04 </td> <td > +19% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > November </td> <td > 8.72 </td> <td > 10.44 </td> <td > 7.24 </td> <td > 26.40 </td> <td > +15% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > December </td> <td > 11.83 </td> <td > 12.92 </td> <td > 5.05 </td> <td > 29.80 </td> <td > 30+ % </td> </tr> <tr > <td > January 2025 </td> <td > 12.98 </td> <td > 12.11 </td> <td > 4.94 </td> <td > 30.03 </td> <td > 38+ </td> </tr> <tr > <td > February </td> <td > 12.41 </td> <td > 10.42 </td> <td > 5.16 </td> <td > 27.99 </td> <td > 28+ </td> </tr> <tr > <td > March </td> <td > 14.63 </td> <td > 11.45 </td> <td > 5.56 </td> <td > 31.64 </td> <td > + 15% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > April </td> <td > 11.28 </td> <td > 13.21 </td> <td > 4.58 </td> <td > 29.07 </td> <td > + 55% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > May </td> <td > 13.34 </td> <td > 21.26 </td> <td > 11.40 </td> <td > 46.00 </td> <td > +46% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > June </td> <td > 13.91 </td> <td > 12.45 </td> <td > 4.36 </td> <td > 30.72 </td> <td > +30% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > July </td> <td > 16.13 </td> <td > 13.81 </td> <td > 5.19 </td> <td > 35.13 </td> <td > +39% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > August </td> <td > 15.36 </td> <td > 15.03 </td> <td > 4.75 </td> <td > 35.14 </td> <td > +32% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > September </td> <td > 17.57 </td> <td > 17.48 </td> <td > 4.89 </td> <td > 39.94 </td> <td > +54% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > October </td> <td > 15.89 </td> <td > 17.47 </td> <td > 6.09 </td> <td > 39.45 </td> <td > +46% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > November </td> <td > 15.26 </td> <td > 17.07 </td> <td > 5.37 </td> <td > 37.71 </td> <td > +43% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > December </td> <td > 20.48 </td> <td > 17.74 </td> <td > 7.12 </td> <td > 45.33 </td> <td > +52% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > January 2026 </td> <td > 17.60 </td> <td > 16.93 </td> <td > 5.56 </td> <td > 40.09 </td> <td > +34% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > February </td> <td > 13.42 </td> <td > 22.15 </td> <td > 5.60 </td> <td > 41.17 </td> <td > +47% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > March </td> <td > 16.26 </td> <td > 15.41 </td> <td > 4.87 </td> <td > 36.54 </td> <td > +16% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > April </td> <td > 20.86 </td> <td > 14.21 </td> <td > 9.9 </td> <td > 44.97 </td> <td > +55% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > May </td> <td > -- </td> <td > -- </td> <td > -- </td> <td > -- </td> <td > -- </td> </tr> <tr > <td > June </td> <td > 8.33 </td> <td > 12.65 </td> <td > 7.02 </td> <td > 28.0 </td> <td > (9%) </td> </tr> <tr > <td > July* </td> <td > 7.16 </td> <td > 14.60 </td> <td > 5.62 </td> <td > 27.38 </td> <td > (22%) </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <div class="ckeCaption" >*Preliminary data</div> The following table shows the results of Abu Dhabi’s non-oil foreign trade since 2016, with last year marking the highest non-oil foreign trade value for any period from 2016 to 2025. <table align="center" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" dir="ltr" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr > <td colspan="3" > Non-oil foreign trade results of Abu Dhabi since 2016 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Period </td> <td > Non-oil foreign trade value (AED bln) </td> <td > YoY change (%) </td> </tr> <tr > <td > 2016 </td> <td > 107.60 </td> <td > -- </td> </tr> <tr > <td > 2017 </td> <td > 156.24 </td> <td > +45.2% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > 2018 </td> <td > 225.49 </td> <td > +44.3% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > 2019 </td> <td > 213.28 </td> <td > (5.4%) </td> </tr> <tr > <td > 2020 </td> <td > 201.21 </td> <td > (5.7%) </td> </tr> <tr > <td > 2021 </td> <td > 211.32 </td> <td > +5.0% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > 2022 </td> <td > 260.43 </td> <td > +23.2% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > 2023 </td> <td > 281.90 </td> <td > +8.2% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > 2024 </td> <td > 306.05 </td> <td > +8.6% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > 2025 </td> <td > 415.42 </td> <td > +35.7% </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <div > Machinery, sound and image recording equipment and accessories topped Abu Dhabi’s merchandise imports in July at around AED 4.5 billion, followed by transport equipment at around AED 2.1 billion.</div> <table data-pm-slice="1 1 -3 [table,{start:3503,end:4259},table_row,{start:3503,end:3562}]"> <tbody> <tr> <th>Abu Dhabi’s Top Merchandise Imports in July 2026</th> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table align="center" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" dir="ltr" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr > <td > </td> <td > Value (mln AED)* </td> </tr> <tr > <td > <table data-pm-slice="1 1 -3 [table,{start:3503,end:4259},table_row,{start:3606,end:3687}]"> <tbody> <tr> <td>Machinery, sound and image recording equipment and accessories</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> <td > 4,485.67 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Transport equipment </td> <td > 2,147.48 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Base metals and articles thereof </td> <td > 2,040.97 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Chemical products or related industries </td> <td > 1,238.32 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Pearls, precious stones, precious metals and articles thereof </td> <td > 1,145.41 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Live animals and animal products of the Kingdom </td> <td > 549.93 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Food products, beverages, alcohol and tobacco </td> <td > 521.34 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Plastics and articles thereof; rubber and articles thereof </td> <td > 512.74 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Optical, photographic, medical, musical instruments and accessories </td> <td > 510.50 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Plant products </td> <td > 432.49 </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <div class="ckeCaption" >*Preliminary data</div> <div ></div> <div >Abu Dhabi’s top 10 trading partners accounted for 63% of total imports in July. China ranked first at AED 1.8 billion, followed by Saudi Arabia at AED 1.6 billion, as shown in the following table:</div> <table align="center" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" dir="ltr" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr > <td colspan="3" > <table data-pm-slice="1 1 -3 [table,{start:4479,end:4891},table_row,{start:4479,end:4537}]"> <tbody> <tr> <th>Abu Dhabi’s Top Import Sources in July 2026*</th> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Rank </td> <td > Country </td> <td > Value (AED mln) </td> </tr> <tr > <td > 1 </td> <td > China </td> <td > 1,824.60 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > 2 </td> <td > Saudi Arabia </td> <td > 1,628.92 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > 3 </td> <td > USA </td> <td > 1,189.29 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > 4 </td> <td > Germany </td> <td > 846.20 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > 5 </td> <td > India </td> <td > 750.84 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > 6 </td> <td > United Kingdom </td> <td > 721.85 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > 7 </td> <td > Russia </td> <td > 689.92 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > 8 </td> <td > France </td> <td > 576.06 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > 9 </td> <td > Italy </td> <td > 561.34 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > 10 </td> <td > Hong Kong </td> <td > 509.26 </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <div class="ckeCaption" >*Preliminary data</div> Hong Kong topped the list of Abu Dhabi’s export destinations in July at AED 1.5 billion, followed by Saudi Arabia at AED 1.3 billion and Qatar at around AED 601 million. <table align="center" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" dir="ltr" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr > <td colspan="3" > <table data-pm-slice="1 1 -3 [table,{start:5084,end:5508},table_row,{start:5084,end:5147}]"> <tbody> <tr> <th>Abu Dhabi’s Top Export Destinations in July 2026*</th> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Rank </td> <td > Country </td> <td > Value (AED mln) </td> </tr> <tr > <td > 1 </td> <td > Hong Kong </td> <td > 1,541.72 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > 2 </td> <td > Saudi Arabia </td> <td > 1,292.95 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > 3 </td> <td > Qatar </td> <td > 600.55 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > 4 </td> <td > Kuwait </td> <td > 552.14 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > 5 </td> <td > Singapore </td> <td > 410.42 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > 6 </td> <td > India </td> <td > 362.20 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > 7 </td> <td > Egypt </td> <td > 298.92 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > 8 </td> <td > Jordan </td> <td > 289.33 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > 9 </td> <td > Oman </td> <td > 223.07 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > 10 </td> <td > Bahrain </td> <td > 210.91 </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <div class="ckeCaption" >*Preliminary data</div>

Publication: Argaam - UAE News · Trade Publication
Published: 5th October 2026
Original report: argaam.com

ProcIntel stores what the source published in its feed — a headline, a summary and a link. It does not store or reproduce the full article.

What ProcIntel recorded

ProcIntel-derived

Category: Geopolitical Risk
Geography: UAE
Organisations: None identified
Collected: 5th October 2026 · 20:13

Initial assessment ProcIntel's automatic, provisional read of this individual Signal -- Initial Significance and Initial Confidence, computed deterministically before any Event extraction or human review.

A provisional, automatically computed reading of this individual Signal, before Event extraction or human review. Not a final rating.

Significance 2 · Moderate

Confidence 2 · Low

Initial Significance Moderate (32.0/100). Strongest contributor: Procurement Impact (12.0/30 points). Limiting factor: Likely Event Severity (3.0/30 points). Initial Confidence Low (34.0/100, data sufficiency: Partial). Strongest contributor: Source Authority (20.0/40 points). Limiting factor: Extraction Quality (3.0/15 points).

Strongest contributor: Procurement Impact
Limiting factor: Likely Event Severity

Possibly the same underlying story as Freelander 8 launches in Abu Dhabi — flagged automatically, never merged automatically.

What the source reported

What ProcIntel recorded

Initial assessment ⓘMore about Initial Signal AssessmentProcIntel's automatic, provisional read of this individual Signal -- Initial Significance and Initial Confidence, computed deterministically before any Event extraction or human review.

Initial assessment ProcIntel's automatic, provisional read of this individual Signal -- Initial Significance and Initial Confidence, computed deterministically before any Event extraction or human review.