Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice-President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, announced in a post on X that the UAE's foreign trade approached Dh3 trillion in the first nine months of 2026 for the first time, marking a 10 per cent year-on-year increase. exports to the UAE's top 10 trading partners rose 31 per cent year-on-year over the same period. He described the achievement as coming "in a year marked by economic and political challenges and shifts in global trade," underscoring the resilience of the UAE's trade sector amid regional turbulence.

In his post, the UAE Vice-President credited President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the country's national teams for the result, attributing it to sustained coordination and planning across the UAE's economic and trade institutions.

Earlier reporting on the UAE's trade performance showed that non-oil exports made up 23.4 per cent of the country's total non-oil trade in the first half of 2026, reflecting the UAE's continued push to reduce its economic reliance on oil revenue. Among the UAE's leading non-oil trading partners, China topped the list with Dh180.7 billion, followed by Switzerland at Dh138.4 billion and India at Dh107.5 billion.

Regional economic analysts describe the growth as a sign of the UAE economy's resilience against global trade volatility and regional geopolitical tensions. They point to the diversification of trading partners and the focus on non-oil exports — particularly gold, electronics and industrial goods — as key drivers behind this historic trade milestone. Dubai, as one of the UAE's main commercial and port hubs, continues to account for a significant share of this growth.