Dubai, UAE— Non-oil trade of Dubai Airport Free Zone (DAFZ), part of the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ), rose by more than 36 percent year-on-year in 2021 to more than AED162 billion, from AED119 billion last year.
DAFZ contributed 10.7 percent to Dubai’s non-oil trade in 2021, exceeding expectations across all sectors.
The free zone also recorded a trade surplus of AED9.3 billion. This growth was fuelled by a 48 percent year-on-year increase in imports, exceeding even the record levels achieved in 2019 and resulting in a quadrupling of exports, reaching AED1.4 billion in 2021.
In 2021, DAFZ achieved exceptional growth that contributed to surpluses in various sectors, particularly in the ‘machinery, equipment, and appliances’ and ‘precious stones, metals and jewellery’ sectors. These two sectors achieved growth between 36 percent and 46 percent and made up an average of 94 percent of DAFZ’s overall trade.
Machinery, equipment, and appliances were the main contributor to DAFZ’s trade in 2021, making up 74.6 percent of exports with a value of AED63.9 billion, and 77.1 percent of imports with a value of AED58.9 billion. Precious stones, metals, and jewelry made up 19.3 percent of exports with a value of AED16.5 billion, and 16.7 percent of imports with a value of AED12.7 billion.
In terms of DAFZ’s trading partners, Asia accounted for 43 percent of DAFZ’s total trade with a value of AED69.5 billion, followed by the Middle East and North Africa with 37 percent and a value of AED60.7 billion, and Europe with 13 percent and a value of AED21.6 billion.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of DIEZ, said, “The free zone has fully recovered from the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, with trade returning to pre-2020 levels. This has reinforced its mission to enhance its strategic goals and contribute to strengthening Dubai’s position as a global trade hub.”