The UAE’s real gross domestic product reached AED961.9 billion ($262 billion) in the first half of 2026, up 0.4% from a year earlier, as non-oil activities expanded their share of the economy, the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre said.
Non-oil GDP grew 1.8% in the six months to June, accounting for 79.2% of total economic output at constant prices, compared with 78.1% in the same period last year. Oil activities contributed the remaining 20.8%.
Growth was uneven across sectors. Financial and insurance activities expanded 14.8%, the strongest increase among major economic activities, followed by information and communication at 7.3% and health and social work at 6%.
Construction grew 5.1%, government activities rose 3.6% and real estate increased 2.3%.
Trade was the largest contributor to non-oil GDP, accounting for 16.2%, followed by financial and insurance activities at 15.2%, construction at 13.1%, manufacturing at 11.8% and real estate at 7.9%.
However, the economy contracted in the second quarter. Real GDP fell 2.1% year on year to AED476.9 billion, while non-oil activities declined 1.1%, with tourism, transport and trade affected by regional developments and travel disruptions, the centre said.
The first-half and second-quarter figures are preliminary estimates based on current statistical methodologies and time series.
The centre is working with partners across the national statistical system on a comprehensive GDP revision programme. The updated national GDP time series is due to be released after approval of the revision results in the first quarter of 2027.
