UAE’s Diversified Economy Shows Strong Resilience Amid Regional Challenges

Speaking at the Economy Middle East Summit 2026, Al Marri highlighted the UAE’s commitment to maintaining an open, adaptable, and future-focused economic model built on policy consistency, investor confidence, and diversification beyond hydrocarbons.

He stated that the UAE has successfully strengthened its position as one of the region’s most reliable commercial and financial hubs through strategic reforms, business-friendly regulations, and continuous infrastructure development.

According to the minister, the country’s flexible economic framework has enabled it to respond effectively to global disruptions, including inflationary pressures, supply chain challenges, and regional instability. He emphasized that in an increasingly fragmented global environment, economies that remain open, efficient, and predictable will continue to attract investment and sustain growth.

Al Marri further noted that the Middle East is currently experiencing one of its most sensitive geopolitical periods in decades. In such circumstances, he said, maintaining security, continuity, and trust becomes essential for economic sustainability.

The UAE has continued to focus heavily on sectors such as tourism, logistics, technology, international trade, and financial services as part of its long-term diversification strategy. These efforts have significantly reduced the country’s reliance on oil revenues and strengthened non-oil economic activities.

The minister revealed that the UAE recorded an average annual GDP growth rate of nearly 5 percent between 2021 and 2025, while non-oil sectors expanded by approximately 6.2 percent during the same period.

He also confirmed that non-oil activities now contribute more than 77 percent of the country’s total GDP. Additionally, the UAE’s non-oil foreign trade surpassed AED3.8 trillion in 2025, while non-oil exports reached a record AED813 billion.

These figures, Al Marri explained, clearly demonstrate that economic diversification in the UAE has evolved from a strategic ambition into a defining pillar of the national economy.