UAE trade posts double-digit growth as logistics network expands

The UAE’s foreign trade maintained double-digit growth in the first nine months of 2026 despite global market challenges, said Fahad Al Gergawi, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Trade.

Speaking at the Dubai FinTech Summit, he said trade reached about US$1 trillion last year, with further growth expected in 2026. The UAE continues to strengthen supply chain and logistics resilience while diversifying trade corridors. The Etihad Rail network is also being leveraged to improve the movement of goods and facilitate more efficient trade flows. He added that UAE companies manage more than 140 ports and over 30 airports worldwide, backed by decades of expertise in trade, transport and logistics. The ministry is also working with DHL to train exporters and expand the use of AI to accelerate procedures.

Al Gergawi emphasised that the UAE is among the world’s five largest re-export hubs. He added that its Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPA) now extend to approximately 40 countries, with further expansion planned to strengthen the country's logistics ecosystem.