Dubai’s economy continues its strong performance with an upward trajectory and sustainable growth in various sectors

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 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 Defense, 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, that 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 is a policy adopted by the emirate, and the renewed opportunities it provides for investment, business, and attracting talent. This strong economic performance is also driven by the outstanding achievements achieved by various vital sectors in the emirate, which have formed a main 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 accelerating pace of implementation of the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33), which aims to double the size of the economy by 2033, and consolidate Dubai’s position among the top three economic cities in the world. As we look to the future, we will move forward in launching initiatives and building partnerships that strengthen Dubai’s position as a leading global center for investment, innovation, and creating opportunities.”

His Highness said in a blog post on the “X” website yesterday: “Dubai’s economy continues its strong performance with an upward trajectory and sustainable growth in various sectors, as the emirate’s gross domestic product achieved a growth of 4.4% during the first half of this year, compared to the same period in 2024, to reach 241 billion dirhams, benefiting from the economic momentum witnessed in the second quarter, during which the gross domestic product reached 122 billion dirhams with a growth of 4.7%. Compared to the same period last year. The vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum established a unique model for creating the future and achieving sustainable growth based on innovation, diversity, flexibility and global competitiveness. The promising results achieved are the result of the integration of roles between the public and private sectors, and long-term planning, and to the great Dubai team we say thank you for your efforts. “Every new achievement brings us one step closer to achieving the full goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33.”

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 emirate’s gross domestic product during the first half.

Director General of the Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai, Hilal Saeed Al Marri, 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 Dubai Economic Agenda D33, and also embodies the effectiveness of true partnership and fruitful cooperation.” between the public and private sectors, which is characterized by a common ambition and strategic consensus.”

He added: “Dubai’s economy continues to achieve high levels of competitiveness, flexibility, and the ability to adapt across all its vital sectors and new and rapid growth prospects, thus attracting investors, entrepreneurs, and talents from around 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.”

Director General of Digital Dubai, Hamad Obaid Al Mansouri, 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 Dubai’s D33 Economic Agenda, which aims to double the size of the economy by 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.”

For his part, Younus Al Nasser, CEO of Dubai Data and Statistics Corporation, affiliated with Dubai Digital, 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 a 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 up plans, and making the right decisions, and we are in Dubai Data and Statistics Corporation “We continue to work to provide accurate and reliable data, and facilitate access to and analysis of it using innovative methods that contribute to enhancing Dubai’s economic competitiveness and support 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.”

For his part, 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 establishing and developing a specially designed business system 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. The Dubai Economic Development Corporation continues its efforts to benefit from this momentum and innovate new paths for 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.”

The activities sector in the field of human health and social work had the largest percentage of growth in the first half of 2025, as 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% of the emirate’s domestic product.

Construction sector

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 is 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 in 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 services

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.

Hamdan bin Mohammed:

• Mohammed bin Rashid’s vision established a model for sustainable growth based on innovation, diversity, flexibility and global competitiveness.

• We will continue to launch initiatives and build partnerships that strengthen Dubai’s position as a global center for investment, innovation, and opportunity creation.