Positioned at the nexus of the East and West, Dubai is a futuristic and thriving hub for global trade.
Gateway to the world
The hyper-connected emirate acts as a nerve centre for trillions of dollars of business and investment into the Middle East, Europe, Africa, India, Asia and beyond.
Its strategic global location, combined with business-friendly policies and future-forward infrastructure, have shaped Dubai into a leading global trade, finance and e-commerce powerhouse.
With 2.5 billion people living within a four-hour flight, and 5 billion within an eight-hour flight or less, the city offers unparalleled access to the world’s largest emerging growth markets too.
Global Trade
A major trade hub and re-export capital, Dubai’s non-oil external trade volumes surged 10% year-on-year (YoY) in the first half of 2021 to 48 million tonnes. China was Dubai’s largest trading partner with US$23.6 billion-worth of trade, followed by India with US$18.27 billion-worth of trade and the USA with US$8.7 billion.
Trading partners
China is Dubai’s largest trading partner, contributing US$29 billion to the economy in 2019, a 6% increase on the year before.
India is the second-biggest trading partner, contributing over US$27 billion, a growth of 16% followed by the USA with US$15.5 billion and Switzerland US$12.7 billion. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia maintained its position as Dubai’s largest Arab trade partner. The country was its fifth-biggest partner globally reporting in excess of US$ 11 billion worth of trade in 2019.
India is the second-biggest trading partner, contributing over US$27 billion, a growth of 16% followed by the USA with US$15.5 billion and Switzerland US$12.7 billion. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia maintained its position as Dubai’s largest Arab trade partner. The country was its fifth-biggest partner globally reporting in excess of US$ 11 billion worth of trade in 2019.