The UAE's real GDP reached AED 961.9 billion in the first half of 2026, up 0.4% on the same period last year. The non-oil economy grew 1.8% and made up 79.2% of GDP, compared with 78.1% a year earlier.
Real estate activities expanded by 2.3% and represented 7.9% of non-oil GDP. Construction, closely linked to the property market, grew 5.1% and had a 13.1% share. The fastest growth came from financial and insurance activities, at 14.8%.
The second quarter looked different: real GDP fell 2.1% year on year to AED 476.9 billion, and non-oil activity declined 1.1%. According to the reporting, tourism, transport and trade weighed most on the result.
The FCSC stresses that these are preliminary estimates. A comprehensive revision is expected after approval in the first quarter of 2027.
