Ten industrial sectors in the UAE have successfully achieved external exports valued at AED 200 billion through the country’s ports over a nine-month period, according to recent indicators from the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority.
The data highlights the increasing presence of domestic products in numerous international markets, driven by strong demand in key sectors such as metallic manufacturing, petrochemicals, plastics, and diverse food industries.
These indicators reflect a boom in the local industrial sector, fueled by rising confidence in domestic products and the efficiency provided by a robust logistics framework within the global trade landscape.
According to the statistics, the metallic industries accounted for the largest share of the local industrial exports, contributing 36.3% of the total exports from the ten sectors, amounting to AED 72.6 billion from the beginning of 2025 until the end of September. This includes a significant portion of basic metal products, which generated AED 56.9 billion in international sales, along with AED 16.7 billion from various other metallic products.
The chemical industries ranked second in terms of export volume, representing 17% of the total sector exports, with values exceeding AED 33 billion during the first nine months of the previous year.
Food industries also demonstrated noticeable growth, particularly within the current industrial base, securing 16% of the total exports from these ten sectors, valued at nearly AED 32 billion.
Following that, exports from the plastics sector contributed over 14% to the total, amounting to more than AED 28.6 billion during the same period in 2025. Wood pulp and paper industries saw exports reach approximately AED 10.4 billion.
Other industrial exports varied across specialized machinery, stone and ceramics, furniture and textiles, leather products including footwear, alongside miscellaneous goods.
The indicators show that local exports, encompassing locally manufactured and other products, have successfully expanded into a growing number of markets, now reaching over 250, including many European, Asian, and African destinations, with expectations of further enhancing the presence of local products in new markets.
Switzerland, India, Hong Kong, and Saudi Arabia topped the list in terms of total export volume from the UAE, followed by other markets such as Ireland, Turkey, the United States, and a variety of other foreign, Asian, Gulf, and Arab markets.