Dubai's GDP reaches Dhs473 billion in H1 2026
- Last updated: October 18, 2026 | 11:54
The Government of Dubai has announced the emirate’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) results for H1 2026, with real GDP reaching approximately Dhs473 billion, according to data released by the Dubai Data and Statistics Establishment at Digital Dubai.
The results reflect continued growth across a range of strategic sectors and activities, led by financial and insurance activities, human health and social work, information and communication, and construction.
The results underscore the resilience of Dubai’s economy, the diversity of its productive base, and the continued momentum across several high-value-added sectors. The emirate continues to develop an enabling environment for businesses, investment and talent, while strengthening its competitiveness and creating new opportunities for growth. These efforts support its economic objectives and reinforce its ability to adapt to changing conditions and turn them into opportunities.
Dubai's economic performance in H1 2026 came amid rapid shifts in the global economic environment, which affected a number of activities to varying degrees. The diversity of the emirate's economic base helped offset some of these impacts, with continued expansion in high-value-added sectors that are playing an increasingly important role in the economy.
Real GDP in H1 2026 reached approximately Dhs473 billion, compared with around Dhs484 billion in the same period of 2025, representing a slight decline of 2.3%. GDP at current prices, meanwhile, reached approximately Dhs505 billion, recording a growth rate of 0.2%, while a number of strategic and services sectors continued to record positive growth rates.
The H1 2026 results showed continued expansion in financial and insurance activities, which recorded 8.8% real growth, with value added rising to approximately Dhs65.9 billion, compared with Dhs60.6 billion in the same period of 2025. Their contribution to GDP reached 14%, compared with 12.5% in the same period of the previous year. The activity grew by 8.1% at current prices, generating value added of Dhs64 billion, reflecting the growing weight of the financial sector in Dubai's economy.
Human health and social work activities recorded 14.3% real growth, and by 16.7% at current prices value added rising to approximately Dhs6.2 billion in constant prices, compared with around Dhs5.4 billion in the same period of 2025, while electricity, gas, water supply and waste management activities grew 5.4% in constant prices, with real value-added reaching approximately Dhs10.2 billion, compared with around Dhs9.7 billion. At current prices, value added reached approximately Dhs10.6 billion, representing a 7.4% growth.
The information and communication sector also continued to expand, recording 2.7% growth in constant prices and 1.6% in current prices, with value added in constant prices rising to approximately Dhs24.7 billion, compared with around Dhs24 billion in the same period of 2025, reflecting the continued growth of activities linked to the digital economy and technology.
The construction sector recorded real growth of 2.4%, with its value added at constant prices reaching approximately Dhs33.2 billion. At current prices, the sector’s value added reached approximately Dhs35.3 billion, representing growth of 8.6%.
Meanwhile, government services activities grew by 2.9% at constant prices and 5.7% at current prices. Education activities also recorded growth of 1.2% at constant prices and 1.5% at current prices.
His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, said: “Dubai’s H1 2026 GDP performance reflects the strength and adaptability of an economy built to navigate periods of significant global uncertainty. Importantly, the continued year-on-year growth achieved across a number of strategic and future-focused sectors demonstrates the strength and depth of Dubai’s economic fundamentals and the effectiveness of our continued focus on the sectors that will shape our long-term growth.
“We enter the second half of 2026 from a position of strength and with clear momentum. As we continue advancing the objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33, our focus is firmly on accelerating investment, innovation and talent, strengthening Dubai’s competitiveness and unlocking the next wave of growth. We are confident that the foundations being built today will enable Dubai to emerge from this period with even greater momentum and continue its trajectory of sustainable growth well into the future.”
Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Director General of Digital Dubai, said: “Diversity and the breadth of the sectoral base are among the key strengths of Dubai's economy, which is reflected in the continued growth of a range of strategic sectors during H1 2026, amid the transformations taking place in the global economic environment. This diversity is the outcome of a long-term vision that has guided investment in building new sectors, developing existing ones, and strengthening the economy's capacity to adapt to different changes.”
Al Mansoori added: “The rapid transformations the world is witnessing confirm the importance of continuing to invest in future sectors of high added value, enhancing the integration of the economic ecosystem, and providing an environment that enables businesses, investments and talent to grow and thrive. Guided by the vision of its leadership and the integrated efforts of the government and private sectors, Dubai continues to anticipate transformations and open new pathways for growth, supporting its strategic targets and strengthening the emirate's competitiveness and future readiness.”
He affirmed that digital transformation and AI are today essential drivers for enhancing the competitiveness of the economy and raising efficiency across sectors, noting that Dubai continues to develop an integrated digital ecosystem that accelerates the adoption of advanced technologies and enables economic sectors to benefit from the opportunities of the digital economy, supporting sustainable growth and reinforcing Dubai's position as a global hub for the new economy.
Younus Al Nasser, Chief Executive of the Dubai Data and Statistics Establishment at Digital Dubai, said: “The results of H1 2026 reflect a variation in the performance of economic activities, which underlines the importance of assessing indicators within an integrated picture that covers the size of the economy, its sectoral structure, and the contribution and performance trends of each activity. While some activities were affected by the changes witnessed in the global economic environment, other sectors continued to achieve positive growth rates, reflecting the breadth and diversity of Dubai's economic base.”
He added: “We continue to develop the national accounts and economic data ecosystem in Dubai in line with the best statistical standards and methodologies, and to make use of available sources and data to enhance the accuracy and comprehensiveness of indicators. The value of this data is not limited to measuring economic performance; it extends to enabling government and business to understand transformations more deeply, and to supporting planning, anticipating trends, and evidence-based decision-making.”
Hadi Badri, Chief Executive Officer of the Dubai Economic Development Corporation, the economic development arm of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, said: “The H1 results demonstrate that appetite to invest, establish and grow in Dubai remains strong, particularly across sectors that are central to the city’s future economy. The 8.8% growth in financial and insurance activities, alongside continued expansion in information and communication, reinforces Dubai’s position as a platform for capital, enterprise and innovation, while growth across other high-value activities reflects the breadth and resilience of the wider economy.
“Our focus now is on converting this sustained confidence into further tangible growth. We are working closely with partners across the government and industry to continuously enhance the business journey, strengthen market access and deliver the infrastructure, talent and services companies needed to establish, invest and scale. The measures introduced over recent months have further strengthened Dubai’s operating environment and created a solid foundation for investment-led growth through the second half of 2026 and beyond.”
The results showed that the three largest economic activities in terms of contribution to real GDP during H1 2026 were wholesale and retail trade at 20.5%, financial and insurance activities at 14%, and real estate activities at 11.8%, followed by transportation and storage at 10.7%.
The results also reflected a variation in sector performance during the period, alongside the growth recorded in a number of strategic activities. Wholesale and retail trade grew by 2% at current prices, aligned with the current growth in foreign trade, which increased 4% compared with the same period of the previous year. However, real growth was affected by higher inflation, which contributed to a 6% decline in trade activity in constant prices, with value added reaching Dhs96.9 billion.
Transportation and storage generated a value added of Dhs50.6 billion, representing a decline of 7.4%,
Meanwhile, the real estate sector grew by 5.4% at current prices, reaching a value added of Dhs65.1 billion, compared with Dhs61.8 billion during the same period of 2025. At constant prices, the sector recorded a 2.5% decline, with real value-added reaching Dhs55.8 billion.
The value added of the manufacturing sector at current prices recorded Dhs24.1 billion, reflecting annual growth of 0.5%. At constant prices, real value added reached Dhs23.7 billion, representing a slight decline of 0.9% compared with the same period of the previous year.
In contrast, the real growth recorded in financial and insurance activities, human health and social work activities, information and communication, and construction, along with a number of other activities, contributed to widening the base of growing sectors and strengthening diversity within the emirate's economy.
The variation in performance across activities reflects the nature of the economic transformations during H1 2026 and, at the same time, underscores the importance of sectoral diversity in strengthening Dubai's economic readiness. Within the framework of the targets of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33, the emirate continues to develop existing sectors and open new pathways for high-value future sectors, enhance the competitiveness of the business environment, attract investment and talent, and accelerate the adoption of technology and AI. These efforts support the development of a more diversified, sustainable, and future-ready economy.
WAM