The UAE’s non-oil foreign trade in the first quarter (Q1) of 2022 was close to AED500 billion for the first time in the country’s history, totalling AED499.7 billion.
According to the UAE’s Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre, this was a growth of 20.5 percent compared to AED414.6 billion recorded in the same period of 2021. The figure is also up 26.3 percent compared to the same period in 2019.
The centre’s data highlighted China’s leadership in the list of top 10 countries trading with the UAE in Q1 2022, valued at AED57 billion, followed by India with AED46.2 billion, and Saudi Arabia with AED32.5 billion.
Gold topped the list of leading commodities included in the UAE’s non-oil foreign trade, with a value of AED84.4 billion and accounting for 17 percent of the country’s total non-oil foreign trade.
Diamonds stood second with a value of AED40 billion, telephone and communication devices with a value of AED37 billion, mineral oils with a value of AED24.6 billion, ornaments and jewellery with a value of AED21 billion, and cars with a value of AED19.5 billion.