Dubai's non-oil foreign trade climbed to a record AED 602 billion ($163.9 bn) during the first half of 2012, at a 12 percent increase compared to the same period last year. Dubai's trade totalled AED 537 billion during H1 2011, according to the latest statistics from Dubai Customs.
Ahmed Butti Ahead, executive chairman of Ports, Custom and Free Zone Corporation, and Dubai Customs director general, said Dubai's imports grew by 11.5 percent, up to AED 357 billion. He added that the value of exports and re-exports hit AED 245 billion, up 13 percent over same period last year.
It is the first time that Dubai's foreign trade sector has broken the AED 600 billion mark for half-year figures and represents a major rebound from the AED 361 billion seen in H1 2009 at the height of the global economic crisis.
Unwrought, worked and semi-manufactured gold topped the list of Dubai's imports during the first half of 2012, followed by jewellery, diamonds, telecom equipment and automobiles.
Gold was also ranked as the top exported product from Dubai during H1, followed by diamonds, jewellery and precious metals.
