United Arab Emirates

Food & Beverages

27-08-2020

Abu Dhabi Non-Oil Foreign Trade Plummets by 7.3 Percent

Abu Dhabi Non-Oil Foreign Trade

The value of non-oil foreign merchandise trade through Abu Dhabi ports decreased by 7.3 percent from AED71.7 billion ($19.3 billion) during the first four months of 2019 to AED66.5 billion ($18.1 billion) in the same period of 2020.

This was the result of a 24.6 percent drop in re-exports from AED17.3 billion to AED 13.0 billion, and an 8.5 percent decline in nonoil exports from AED20.1 billion to AED18.3 billion, while the imports increased by 2.2 percent in the same period, reported Emirates News Agency WAM, citing figures released by Statistics Centre - Abu Dhabi (SCAD).

The total trade declined by 41.3 percent in April 2020 compared with April 2019, due to a drop in re-exports, non-oil exports, and imports by 54.2 percent, 47.3 percent, and 32.9 percent respectively in the same period.

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 AED15.95 billion, accounting for 73.4 percent 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 totalled AED21.74 billion.

Abu Dhabi's exports to Saudi Arabia reached AED7.182 billion during the reference period, with re-exports standing at AED4.844 billion and imports at AED3.93 billion. The total trade with Kuwait stood at AED2.47 billion, followed by Oman, AED1.69 billion and Bahrain, AED1.63 billion.