Dubai's economy continues its upward trajectory, achieving qualitative accomplishments that affirm its leading position. In the first half of the current year, the emirate's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) reached approximately 241 billion dirhams, of which 122 billion dirhams were recorded in the second quarter alone, marking a significant growth of 4.4% in 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 Maktum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, stated: "This exceptional economic performance of the Emirate of Dubai embodies the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktum, Vice President of the UAE, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, a vision that has established a model for sustainable growth based on innovation, diversification, resilience, and global competitiveness. In the next phase, we will work to invest these gains by expanding the base of economic diversification and enhancing Dubai's status as one of the world's most dynamic economic hubs."
This strong economic growth is driven by the remarkable achievements across the emirate's key sectors, which have been a main pillar for sustaining growth and enhancing Dubai's global economic competitiveness. He added: "This growth is a direct result of the integration of roles between the public and private sectors, the effectiveness of governance systems, and high execution efficiency, coupled with a strong capacity to adapt to global transformations. The performance achieved in the first half of this year also demonstrates the accelerating pace of implementing Dubai's Economic Agenda (D33), which aims to double the size of the economy by 2033 and establish Dubai among the top three economic cities worldwide."
This robust performance reflects the strength of long-term planning and the effectiveness of the emirate's forward-looking policies, and the opportunities it provides for renewed investment, business, and talent attraction. We will continue to focus, looking to the future, on building a knowledge-based and evolving economy that keeps pace with modern advancements to maintain strong momentum and provide more opportunities for investment and innovation.
"Dubai's exceptional economic performance in the first half of 2025 reflects the strength and resilience of its economic system in adapting to changes and enhancing its sustainable competitiveness," said Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Director General of Dubai Digital. "We at Dubai Digital are committed to supporting this journey by accelerating the pace of digital transformation, continuing our empowerment journey, and leveraging the latest technologies to serve various sectors, which contributes to enhancing business efficiency and ensuring sustainable growth, cementing Dubai's position as a leading global digital economic hub. We at the Dubai Digital Data Establishment continue to work on providing accurate and reliable data, facilitating access and analysis through innovative methods that contribute to enhancing Dubai's economic competitiveness and supporting the achievement of its goals across all domains, where today's achievements reflect Dubai's success in turning its visions and ambitions into a tangible reality that positively impacts its present and future."
The sector recorded a growth of 4.4% in the first half of the current year, contributing 23.8% and a total of 57.4 billion dirhams to the GDP. Other sectors also recorded varied growth rates in the first half of 2025, with a collective growth of 1.8%. The Dubai Digital Data Establishment is currently in the process of revising the time series of GDP and other economic indicators in line with international standards and the review and revision policy of the national accounts system, due to the availability of more comprehensive data that more clearly reflects the economic changes of the Emirate of Dubai, based on archival and field data sources. These efforts align with the establishment's values of enhancing transparency and improving the quality and reliability of statistical data, contributing to the achievement of the emirate's developmental goals. Meanwhile, the Dubai Economic Development Establishment continues its efforts to leverage this momentum and innovate new growth paths with the support of our partners in the public and private sectors. This momentum is a fundamental pillar for achieving the goals of Dubai's Economic Agenda (D33), which aims to double the size of the economy by 2033 and establish Dubai among the top three economic cities worldwide, in line with Dubai's highest strategic directions.
The construction sector also showed a remarkable growth of 8.5%, contributing 6.7% to the emirate's GDP in the first half of the year. Khalil Saeed Al Murri, Director General of Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism, said: "These results affirm the visionary leadership and wise guidance of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktum, Vice President of the UAE, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, and they reflect the emirate's capacity for adaptation and resilience in addressing global challenges and changes, while it continues to achieve further accomplishments within the targets of Dubai's Economic Agenda (D33). They also embody the effectiveness of genuine partnership and fruitful cooperation between the public and private sectors, characterized by shared ambition and strategic alignment." Al Murri added: "Dubai's economy continues to achieve high levels of competitiveness, resilience, and adaptability across all its key sectors and new, rapid-growth prospects, thereby attracting investors, entrepreneurs, and talents from around the world, while also focusing on developing local capabilities and making Dubai a center for launching and expanding globally."
Hadi Badri, Executive Director of the Dubai Economic Development Establishment, the economic arm of Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism, said: "The strong growth we witnessed in the health, construction, real estate, and financial services sectors is the fruit of establishing and developing a business system specifically designed for flexibility and scalability." He explained: "The growth achieved in the first half of the current year confirms the effectiveness of Dubai's innovative supporting policies, which continue to enhance the emirate's competitiveness and appeal for high-value investments."
Human Health and Social Work Activities
The sector of human health and social work activities recorded the highest growth in the first half of 2025. "The results achieved by Dubai's economy in the first half of 2025 are a reflection of the exceptional performance of various key sectors and the fruit of harmony between the public and private sectors to build a future that enhances Dubai's leadership and distinction as a city reliant on real-time data using the latest technologies, including analytics, with the aim of analyzing the present, foreseeing the future, planning, and making sound decisions," said Younes Al Nasser, CEO of the Dubai Digital Data Establishment, a subsidiary of Dubai Digital. The human health and social work activities sector took the lead, achieving a growth of 20%, with this activity's contribution to the GDP estimated at 1.4%. It recorded a growth of 20%, reaching a total added value of 3.3 billion dirhams, contributing 1.4% to the GDP. The sector continued its strong performance in the second quarter of the current year, recording a growth of 12.8%, with an added value of 1.4 billion dirhams compared to 1.2 billion dirhams in the same period last year, contributing 1.2% to the emirate's GDP.
Construction
Indicators for the first half of 2025 showed an exceptional performance for the construction sector, which continued to achieve positive results reflecting its vital role in supporting economic activity. The sector's added value amounted to approximately 16 billion dirhams in the first half of the current year, contributing 6.7% to the GDP, marking a growth of 8.5% compared to the first half of last year. This growth was driven by increased government spending on developmental projects in the second quarter of the year, where the sector grew by 14.9%, contributing 6.2% to the GDP, thereby boosting economic activity during the period.
Real Estate Activities
This sector grew by 6.4% in the second quarter of 2025, and its share of the emirate's GDP was 8.9% with a total value of 10.8 billion dirhams. Its growth rate in the first half of the current year was 7%, contributing 8.2% to the GDP with a total value of 19.8 billion dirhams compared to 18.5 billion dirhams recorded during the same period in 2024, which was a result of a 40% growth in real estate sales compared to the first half of last year.
Financial and Insurance Activities
This sector recorded a growth rate of 7.7% in the second quarter 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, raising its share of Dubai's emirate's GDP to 11.6%. Its growth rate in the first half of the current year was 6.7%, contributing 12.5% to the GDP, achieving an added value of 30.2 billion dirhams.
Information and Communication
This sector managed to achieve a growth rate of 7.4% in the second quarter of 2025, reaching a value of 5.5 billion dirhams, and its share of the GDP reached 4.5%. Its growth rate in the first half of the current year was 5.3%, contributing 4.5% to the GDP, with an added value of 10.8 billion dirhams compared to 10.2 billion dirhams for the same period in 2024.
Accommodation and Food Services Activities
In the second quarter of the current year, this sector recorded 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 share of Dubai's emirate's GDP was 3.1%. Its growth rate in the first half of the current year was 4.9%, contributing 3.6% to the GDP, 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 in the first half of 2025, representing a 6% growth compared to the same period in 2024.
Wholesale and Retail Trade
The sector's value amounted to 29.9 billion dirhams in the second quarter of 2025, achieving a growth rate of 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. He added: "The wise leadership has laid a solid foundation for sustainable development, which has strengthened Dubai's position as one of the leading economic centers and the best investment destination in all fields."
