Abu Dhabi's Non-Oil Foreign Trade Surges to AED281.903 Billion in 2023

The total volume of non-oil foreign trade through the border crossings of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi amounted to AED281.903 billion during the year 2023, with a growth rate of 8 percent compared to AED260.435 billion in 2022.

Imports grew by 19 percent during the past year, reaching a value of AED136.45 billion, compared to AED114.355 billion in 2022. Re-export activities also achieved a growth of 11 percent, reaching a value of AED52.394 billion, compared to AED47.277 billion in 2022.

Rashed Lahej Al Mansoori, Director-General of the General Administration of Abu Dhabi Customs, emphasised that the growth rates reflect Abu Dhabi's economic expansion across all sectors, which contributes an active role in driving the economic growth wheel of the country, resulting from the policies, decisions and strategic initiatives adopted by the UAE government to create a business environment open to the global economies, thereby enhancing the country's competitiveness.

Al Mansoori further explained that Abu Dhabi Customs, as part of its strategic vision to achieve global leadership, continuously adopts the latest technologies and systems to develop its operational and procedural efficiency and provide distinctive services that facilitate trade movement and accelerate customs procedures. This includes providing proactive services and expanding the scope of the 'Invisible Customs System', which streamline time and effort for customers, facilitate customs inspection procedures, and support the completion of transactions with high accuracy and speed. These efforts contributed to the growth of Abu Dhabi's non-oil trade during the past year and achieving a 100 percent compliance rate with the World Customs Organisation's SAFE framework of standards.

Abdulla Gharib Al Qemzi, Acting Director-General of Statistics Centre – Abu Dhabi, said, “The Emirate of Abu Dhabi witnessed significant growth in several key economic activities during 2023, which was directly reflected in the growth of foreign trade through the Emirate's ports. These results reflect the ongoing economic diversification efforts, demonstrating the strength and flexibility of the Emirate's economy. With the acceleration of non-oil activities growth and a strong infrastructure supporting it, Abu Dhabi’s economic position on the global scale is further solidified.”

Amjad Saleh