The value of non-oil foreign merchandise trade through Abu Dhabi ports totalled Dhs66.5 billion during first four months of 2020. The imports increased by 2.2 per cent in the same period, according to figures released by Statistics Centre - Abu Dhabi (SCAD), on Monday.

SCAD noted that Saudi Arabia continued to be the key trade partner of Abu Dhabi during the reference period, with the two-way trade value standing at Dhs15.95 billion, accounting for 73.4 per cent of the emirate’s total trade in the reference period with four GCC states, namely KSA, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman, with which Abu Dhabi’s non-oil foreign merchandise trade totaled Dhs21.74 billion.

Abu Dhabi’s exports to Saudi Arabia reached Dhs7.182 billion during the reference period, with re-exports standing at Dhs4.844 billion and imports at Dhs3.93 billion. The total trade with Kuwait stood at Dhs2.47 billion, followed by Oman, Dhs1.69 bn and Bahrain, Dhs1.63 billion. Meanwhile the Industrial Production Index (IPI,) increased by 9.2 per cent from 142.3 per cent in the first quarter of 2019 to 155.3 per cent in the first quarter of 2020, according to Statistics Centre - Abu Dhabi, SCAD.

The Industrial Production Index increased by 11.9 per cent in the first quarter of 2020 from 138.8 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2019.

The key activity that recorded an increase in the Industrial Production Index during the first quarter of 2020 compared with the first quarter of 2019, was ‘Manufacture of machinery and equipment’ for which the production quantity increased by 222.4 per cent while contributing 115.1 per cent to the overall increase in the IPI, SCAD noted.

WAM