‎Dubai's GDP reaches AED 473B in H1 2026

‎<p ><span ><span class="ckeCaption" ><img src="https://argaamplus.s3.amazonaws.com/0eae8ed1-c001-4240-b932-d3919f9ff1f2.png" >Dubai City</span></span></p> <hr> <p ><span ><span >Dubai's real gross domestic product (GDP) reached about AED 473 billion in H1 2026, according to the </span></span>Dubai Data and Statistics Establishment at Digital Dubai.<span ><span >Continued growth was reported across several strategic sectors, led by financial and insurance activities, health and social work, information and telecoms, and construction.</span></span><br> <br> <span >This reflects Dubai’s economic flexibility, productive base diversity, and sustained momentum in multiple high value-added sectors. They come as the emirate continues to enhance its business, investment, and talent environment, boosts competitiveness, and opens new growth avenues to support economic targets and reinforce its ability to adapt to changes and turn them into opportunities.</span></p> <p ><br> <span ><span >Dubai’s economic performance in H1 2026 came amid fast-paced shifts in the global economic environment, which affected various activities to differing degrees. However, the emirate’s economic diversification helped mitigate part of these impacts, as expansion continued in sectors with increasing importance and value add within Dubai’s economic structure.</span></span><br> <br> <span >Real GDP for H1 2026 stood at about AED 473 billion, compared to roughly AED 484 billion in the same period of 2025—a slight decline of 2.3%. GDP at current prices reached approximately AED 505 billion, reflecting 0.2% growth, with various strategic and service sectors continuing to deliver positive growth rates.</span></p> <p ><br> <span >H1 2026 data show further expansion in financial and insurance activities, which posted real growth of 8.8%, with their value added rising to AED 65.9 billion from AED 60.6 billion in the same 2025 period. The sector’s GDP contribution reached 14%, up from 12.5%. At current prices, activity grew by 8.1% to AED 64.0 billion, underscoring the growing weight of the financial sector in Dubai’s economy.</span></p> <p ><br> <span >Human health and social work activities saw real growth of 14.3%, or 16.7% at current prices, lifting real value added to AED 6.2 billion from AED 5.4 billion a year earlier. Meanwhile, electricity, gas, water, and waste management activities grew by 5.4% at constant prices, with real value added reaching AED 10.2 billion versus AED 9.7 billion. At current prices, value added grew to AED 10.6 billion, up 7.4%.</span></p> <p ><br> <span >The information and telecoms sector continued to expand, posting 2.7% real growth and 1.6% growth at current prices, which lifted the sector’s real value added to AED 24.7 billion, compared to AED 24 billion in H1 2025. This highlights sustained growth in activities linked to the digital economy and technology.</span></p> <p ><br> <span >The construction sector recorded real growth of 2.4%, with its value added at constant prices reaching around AED 33.2 billion. At current prices, the sector's value added came to AED 35.3 billion, up 8.6%. Meanwhile, government services activities grew 2.9% at constant prices and 5.7% at current prices. The education sector posted growth of 1.2% at constant prices and 1.5% at current prices.</span></p> <p ><br> <span >Hilal Saeed Al Marri, Director-General of Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism, said: “Dubai’s gross domestic product (GDP) performance in H1 2026 reflects the strength of an economy capable of effectively responding to periods of significant global change. Most importantly, continued year-on-year growth across several strategic and future-focused sectors underscores the strength and resilience of Dubai’s economic foundations and the effectiveness of our ongoing focus on sectors shaping long-term growth.”</span></p> <p ><br> <span >He added: “As we continue to strengthen growth drivers and provide the necessary enablers to support all sectors, we enter H2 2026 from a position of strength and clear momentum. In pursuit of Dubai Economic Agenda D33 targets, we remain focused on accelerating investment and innovation, attracting talent, enhancing Dubai’s competitiveness, and opening new horizons for growth. We are confident that the foundations we are laying today will enable Dubai to accelerate its growth and advance its path toward a sustainable future.”</span></p> <p ><br> <span >Hamad Al Mansoori, Director-General of Digital Dubai, said: “Diversity and the breadth of the sectoral base are core strengths of Dubai’s economy, as evidenced by continued growth across several strategic sectors in H1 2026, even amid global economic volatility. This diversity is the result of a long-term vision that has invested in building new sectors, developing existing ones, and enhancing the economy’s adaptability to change.”</span></p> <p ><br> <span >He added: “The rapid global transformations confirm the importance of sustained investment in value-added future sectors, boosting integration in the economic ecosystem, and providing an environment that enables businesses, investments, and talent to grow and flourish. With its visionary leadership and coordinated government and private sector efforts, Dubai continues to get ahead of transformations and open new pathways for growth, supporting its strategic objectives and enhancing the emirate’s competitiveness and future readiness.”</span></p> <p ><br> <span >He confirmed that digital transformation and artificial intelligence (AI) are fundamental drivers for enhancing economic competitiveness and raising efficiency across sectors. He noted that Dubai continues to develop an integrated digital ecosystem that accelerates advanced technology adoption and enables economic sectors to capitalize on opportunities available from the digital economy, supporting sustainable growth and reinforcing Dubai’s status as a global hub for the new economy.</span></p> <p ><br> <span >His Excellency Younus Al Nasser, </span>Chief Executive of the Dubai Data and Statistics Establishment at Digital Dubai<span >, said: </span>“The results of H1 2026 reflect a variation in the performance of economic activities, which underlines the importance of assessing indicators within an integrated picture that covers the size of the economy, its sectoral structure, and the contribution and performance trends of each activity. While some activities were affected by the changes witnessed in the global economic environment, other sectors continued to achieve positive growth rates, reflecting the breadth and diversity of Dubai's economic base.”</p> <p ><br> “We continue to develop the national accounts and economic data ecosystem in Dubai in line with the best statistical standards and methodologies, and to make use of available sources and data to enhance the accuracy and comprehensiveness of indicators. The value of this data is not limited to measuring economic performance; it extends to enabling government and business to understand transformations more deeply, and to supporting planning, anticipating trends, and evidence-based decision-making," he added.</p> <p ><br> <span >Meanwhile, His Excellency Hadi Badri, </span>the Dubai Economic Development Corporation, the economic development arm of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, said: “The H1 results demonstrate that appetite to invest, establish and grow in Dubai remains strong, particularly across sectors that are central to the city’s future economy. The 8.8% growth in financial and insurance activities, alongside continued expansion in information and communication, reinforces Dubai’s position as a platform for capital, enterprise and innovation, while growth across other high-value activities reflects the breadth and resilience of the wider economy.</p> <p ></p> <p >“Our focus now is on converting this sustained confidence into further tangible growth. We are working closely with partners across the government and industry to continuously enhance the business journey, strengthen market access and deliver the infrastructure, talent and services companies needed to establish, invest and scale. The measures introduced over recent months have further strengthened Dubai’s operating environment and created a solid foundation for investment-led growth through the second half of 2026 and beyond," he added.</p> <p ><br> <span >The results showed that the three largest economic activities by share of real GDP in H1 2026 were wholesale and retail trade at 20.5%, financial and insurance activities at 14.0%, and real estate activities at 11.8%, followed by transportation and storage at 10.7%.</span></p> <p ><br> <span >The figures also reflected divergence among sector performances during the period, alongside growth in several strategic activities. Wholesale and retail trade grew 2% at current prices, consistent with a 4% increase in foreign trade compared to the same period last year. However, real growth was impacted by higher prices, contributing to a 6% decline in trade to AED 96.9 billion. The transportation and storage sector recorded a value added at constant prices of AED 50.6 billion, marking a 7.4% decline.</span></p> <p ><br> <span >The real estate sector grew 5.4% at current prices, generating a value added of AED 65.1 billion compared to AED 61.8 billion in the same period of 2025. Data shows the sector contracted 2.5% at constant prices, logging a value added of AED 55.8 billion. Meanwhile, the value added of the manufacturing sector at current prices reached AED 24.1 billion, up 0.5%, while real value added stood at AED 23.7 billion, marking a 0.9% decline.</span></p> <p ><br> <span >Growth in financial and insurance activities, health and social work, information and telecoms, and construction, along with various other sectors, contributed to broadening the base of growing industries and enhancing diversification in the emirate's economic structure.</span></p> <p ><br> <span >The divergence in performance across activities reflects the nature of regional and global economic transformations during H1 2026, highlighting the importance of sectoral diversification in bolstering Dubai's economic resilience. Under Dubai Economic Agenda D33, the emirate continues to develop existing sectors, open new pathways for high value-added future sectors, enhance competitiveness in the business environment, attract investment and talent, and accelerate the adoption of technology and artificial intelligence, supporting the development of a more diversified, sustainable, and future-ready economy.</span></p>

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Argaam - UAE News · Trade Publication

Published

18th October 2026

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argaam.com

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