With a growth of 4.7% / 122 billion dirhams, Dubai’s GDP in the second quarter of this year
Dubai, 9 November / WAM / Dubai’s economy has continued its upward path, achieving qualitative achievements that confirm its leadership position, as the emirate’s gross domestic product in the first half of this year recorded about 241 billion dirhams, including 122 billion dirhams in the second quarter alone, achieving a remarkable growth of 4.4% during the first half, and 4.7% in the second quarter compared to the same period last year.
On this occasion, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, and Chairman of the Executive Council of the Emirate of Dubai, said: “This distinguished economic performance of the Emirate of Dubai embodies the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, a vision that established a model for sustainable growth based on innovation, diversity, flexibility and global competitiveness. This strong performance also reflects the strength of long-term planning and the effectiveness of forward-looking policies that “This strong economic performance is driven by the outstanding achievements achieved by various vital sectors in the emirate, which have formed a major pillar for sustaining growth and enhancing the competitiveness of Dubai’s economy globally.”
His Highness added: “This growth is a direct result of the integration of roles between the public and private sectors, the effectiveness of governance systems, high executive efficiency, and the solid ability to keep pace with global transformations. The performance achieved in the first half of this year also demonstrates the accelerated pace of implementation of the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33), which aims to double the size of the economy by the year 2033, and consolidate Dubai’s position among the top three economic cities in the world. As we look to the future, we will continue We will move forward in launching initiatives and building partnerships that enhance Dubai’s position as a leading global center for investment, innovation and opportunity creation.”
The sector of activities in the field of human health and social work had the most prominent share, achieving a growth of 20%, noting that the contribution of this activity to the gross domestic product is estimated at 1.4%. Construction activity also recorded a remarkable growth of 8.5%, contributing 6.7% to the gross domestic product in the emirate during the first half.
His Excellency Hilal Saeed Al Marri, Director General of the Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai, said: “These results confirm the insightful vision and wise leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him. They also reflect the emirate’s ability to adapt and be flexible in dealing with global challenges and changes, at a time when it continues to achieve more achievements within the goals of the D33 Dubai Economic Agenda. It also embodies the effectiveness of true partnership and cooperation. “Fruitful partnership between the public and private sectors, which is characterized by a common ambition and strategic consensus.”
His Excellency added: “Dubai’s economy continues to achieve high levels of competitiveness, flexibility, and adaptability across all its vital sectors and new and rapid growth prospects, thus attracting investors, entrepreneurs, and talents from all over the world, while focusing at the same time on developing local capabilities and making Dubai a center for global launch and expansion. We will continue our focus, as we look to the future, on building a knowledge-based and advanced economy that keeps pace with everything that is modern, to maintain strong momentum and provide more opportunities for investment and innovation.”
Prosperous economy
His Excellency Hamad Obaid Al Mansouri, Director General of Digital Dubai, said: “The distinguished economic performance recorded by Dubai during the first half of 2025 reflects the strength of its economic system and its flexibility to keep pace with changes and enhance its sustainable competitiveness. This momentum represents an essential pillar for achieving the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, which aims to double the size of the economy by the year 2033, and consolidate Dubai’s position among the top three economic cities in the world in line with Dubai’s higher strategic directions.”
He added: “The wise leadership has laid solid foundations for sustainable development, which has strengthened Dubai’s position as one of the most prominent economic centers and the best investment destinations in all fields. We at Digital Dubai are committed to supporting this journey by accelerating the pace of digital transformation, continuing the journey of empowerment, and harnessing the latest technology to serve various sectors, which contributes to raising business efficiency, ensuring sustainable growth, and consolidating Dubai’s position as a world-leading digital economic city.”
Exceptional performance
His Excellency Younis Al Nasser, CEO of the Dubai Data and Statistics Corporation, affiliated with Digital Dubai, said: “The results achieved by Dubai’s economy during the first half of 2025 are a reflection of the exceptional performance of various vital sectors, and the result of harmony between the government and private sectors in order to build the future that enhances Dubai’s leadership and distinction as a city that relies on real-time databases using the latest technologies, including analytical data, with the aim of extrapolating the present, anticipating the future, drawing plans, and making the right decisions. We at the Dubai Data Corporation “We continue to work on providing accurate and reliable data, and facilitating access and analysis through innovative methods that contribute to enhancing Dubai’s economic competitiveness and supporting the achievement of its goals in all fields, as the achievements we are witnessing today reflect Dubai’s success in transforming its visions and ambitions into a tangible reality that leaves a positive impact on its present and future.”
His Excellency Hadi Badri, Executive Director of the Dubai Economic Development Corporation, the economic development arm of the Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai, said: “The strong growth that we have witnessed in the health, construction, real estate and financial services sectors in particular is the result of the establishment and development of a specially designed business system that is characterized by flexibility and the possibility of expansion.”
He explained: “The growth achieved in the first half of this year confirms the efficiency of policies supporting innovation in Dubai, which continue to enhance the emirate’s competitiveness and its attractiveness for high-value investments. In turn, the Dubai Economic Development Corporation continues its efforts to benefit from this momentum and innovate new paths of growth with the support of our partners in the public and private sectors. We will also work in the next phase to invest these gains, by expanding the base of economic diversification, and strengthening Dubai’s position as one of the most vibrant global cities in the global economy.”
Activities in the field of health and social work
The activities sector in the field of human health and social work had the largest growth rate in the first half of 2025. It achieved a growth of 20%, reaching a total value added of 3.3 billion dirhams, contributing 1.4% of the gross domestic product.
The sector continued its strong performance during the second quarter of this year, recording a growth of 12.8%, bringing its added value to 1.4 billion dirhams, compared to 1.2 billion dirhams in the same period last year, with a contribution of 1.2% to the emirate’s domestic product.
Construction.
Indicators for the first half of 2025 showed an exceptional performance for the construction sector, which continued to achieve positive results that reflect its vital role in supporting economic activity. The added value of the sector amounted to about 16 billion dirhams during the first half of this year, contributing 6.7% of the gross domestic product, recording a growth of 8.5% compared to the first half of last year.
This performance comes driven by an increase in government spending on development projects in the second quarter of the year, as the sector achieved a growth of 14.9%, contributing 6.2% of the gross domestic product to enhance economic activity during the period.
Real estate activities.
This sector achieved a growth of 6.4% during the second quarter of 2025, and its contribution to the emirate’s gross domestic product reached 8.9%, with a total value of 10.8 billion dirhams.
Its growth rate reached 7% in the first half of this year, contributing 8.2% to the total domestic product, with a value of 19.8 billion dirhams, compared to 18.5 billion dirhams recorded during the same period of the year 2024, as a result of the growth in real estate sales by about 40% compared to the first half of last year.
Financial and insurance activities.
During the second quarter, this sector achieved a growth rate of 7.7% compared to the same period last year, reaching a value of 14.2 billion dirhams, compared to 13.2 billion dirhams for the same period in 2024, bringing its contribution to the GDP of the Emirate of Dubai to 11.6%.
Its growth rate in the first half of this year reached 6.7%, contributing 12.5% of the gross domestic product, achieving an added value of 30.2 billion dirhams.
Information and communication.
This sector was able to achieve a growth rate of 7.4% during the second quarter of 2025, bringing its value to 5.5 billion dirhams, and its contribution to the gross domestic product reaching 4.5%.
Its growth rate in the first half of this year reached 5.3%, contributing 4.5% to the gross domestic product, with its added value reaching 10.8 billion dirhams, compared to 10.2 billion dirhams for the same period in 2024.
Accommodation and food service activities.
During the second quarter of this year, this sector achieved a growth rate of 6.9% compared to the same period last year, reaching a value of 3.8 billion dirhams, compared to 3.5 billion dirhams during the same period last year, and its contribution to the gross domestic product of the Emirate of Dubai reached 3.1%.
Its growth rate in the first half of this year reached 4.9%, contributing 3.6% to the gross domestic product, reaching a value of 8.7 billion dirhams, compared to 8.3 billion dirhams for the same period last year. This coincided with the growth of international visitors, as the Emirate of Dubai received 9.88 million international visitors during the first half of 2025, representing a growth of 6% compared to the same period in 2024.
Wholesale and retail trade.
The value of the sector reached 29.9 billion dirhams during the second quarter of 2025, achieving a growth rate of 4.3% compared to the same quarter of last year. The sector recorded a growth of 4.4% during the first half of this year, with a contribution of 23.8% and a total of 57.4 billion dirhams in the gross domestic product.
Other sectors also achieved varying growth rates during the first half of 2025, which together recorded a growth of 1.8%.
The Dubai Data and Statistics Corporation is currently re-estimating the time series of gross domestic product and other economic indicators, keeping pace with international standards and the policy of reviewing and revising the system of national accounts. This is due to the availability of more comprehensive data that reflects the economic changes of the Emirate of Dubai more clearly, based on sources of record and field data. These efforts come in line with the Corporation’s values of enhancing transparency and improving the quality and reliability of statistical data, which contributes to achieving the emirate’s development goals.
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