Dubai, UAE — Dubai’s diamond trade rose to a record $41.7 billion in 2025, surpassing its previous high set in 2011, as stronger natural diamond trading and robust volumes reinforced the emirate’s position as a global trading hub, DMCC said on Monday.
According to Dubai Customs data released by DMCC, the total diamond trade increased 16.2 percent from $35.8 billion in 2024, while traded volumes climbed 42.5 percent year-on-year to a record 359.5 million carats.
The figures marked the first time Dubai posted record highs for both the value and physical volume of diamond trade in the same year.
Natural diamonds remained the dominant segment, generating $39.9 billion in trade, or 95.8 percent of the total value. Trade in natural polished diamonds rose nearly 25 percent year-on-year to $18.7 billion, while rough diamond volumes reached 205.2 million carats, the second-highest level on record and about 34 percent higher than in 2024.
Since 2020, diamond trade through Dubai has increased 139 percent in value and doubled in volume, reflecting the emirate’s growing role as a link between producing countries, manufacturing centres and consumer markets.
“Dubai’s latest diamond trade figures demonstrate the success of a long-term strategy to build the world’s most connected, transparent and efficient precious stones ecosystem,” DMCC Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Ahmed Bin Sulayem said in a statement.
Beyond diamonds, trade in coloured gemstones reached a record $1.1 billion in 2025, up 48 percent from a year earlier, supported by a 68.8 percent increase in imports and a 33.5 percent rise in re-exports.
DMCC, which operates the Dubai Diamond Exchange, said synthetic and industrial diamonds now account for about 39 percent of total diamond trading volumes by carat, underscoring the continued diversification of Dubai’s precious stones market.
