Dubai at forefront of Gulf region shift in trade and investment flows

Through its location, diversified economy and infrastructure, Dubai has a pivotal role to play.

• Trade between Dubai and the global economy is increasing rapidly. In January 2011 Dubai’s non-oil trade increased by 28% and rose to a record high of just under $15 billion. Dubai Customs’ statistics show an average growth of 19% over the last five years.

• India is Dubai’s largest trading partner and China is second. In the first 10 months of 2010, the value of total exchanges between Dubai and India amounted to just under US$33.5 billion, representing 26% of Dubai’s total trade with the outside world. UAE trade with China in 2010 amounted to US$33 billion.

• Foreign direct investment into Dubai is expected to jump 30% in 2011, helped by the emirate’s economic recovery and an influx of South American and Chinese companies.

• There has been a surge in the number of tourists visiting Dubai from emerging markets. Govern­ment figures show a 57% increase in the number of Chinese tourists visiting the emirate in the first half of 2010, with 81,932 visitors.

• Dubai’s non-oil trade with the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) increased fivefold between 2002 and 2009, from $1.42 billion in 2002 to $7.24 billion in 2009.

• Investment in emerging markets will reflect Dubai’s strength in the logistics sector. DP World currently operates container terminals across every continent, and is developing projects in Brazil, China, India and Turkey, amongst other countries. In 2010, the DP World network handled 49.6 million containers, a 14% increase on 2009.

• More and more companies from both emerging markets and OECD nations are registering in Dubai. The number of Chinese companies registered in Dubai has grown exponentially over the last five years, rising from 11 in 2005 to 2,346 by the end of 2009.