The UAE economy expanded by 0.4 per cent to Dh961.9 billion in the first half of 2026, according to preliminary figures released by the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre. Non-oil sectors remained the main engine of growth, expanding by 1.8 per cent and raising their share of the overall economy to 79.2 per cent, up from 78.1 per cent in the same period last year.
Financial and insurance activities posted the fastest growth among non-oil sectors at 14.8 per cent, followed by information and communication at 7.3 per cent, health and social work at 6 per cent, construction at 5.1 per cent, government activities at 3.6 per cent, and real estate at 2.3 per cent. In terms of overall contribution, trade accounted for 16.2 per cent of non-oil GDP, financial and insurance activities for 15.2 per cent, and construction for 13.1 per cent, making them the three largest contributors to the non-oil economy.
The data also showed a more challenging second quarter, with non-oil activity contracting 1.1 per cent year-on-year as regional developments disrupted travel patterns and weighed on tourism, transport and trade. Despite that dip, the first-half figures as a whole point to continued, if moderate, expansion.
Officials noted that updated national GDP figures and revised historical time series will be published once the revised results are approved, expected in the first quarter of 2027. Economists following the figures say they reflect the resilience of the UAE's diversified economy, with non-oil sectors continuing to carry a growing share of national output even amid regional headwinds, reinforcing the broader push toward reducing dependence on oil revenue over the coming years.