The total free trade in the UAE increased to 621.3 billion dirhams in 2019, an increase of 2.1%, compared to 608.3 billion dirhams in 2018, according to the records of the Ministry of Finance.
The free zones deployed in all emirates of the country are a major player in diversifying sources of income and an essential tributary of the national economy throughout the past years, which made its development, whether at the level of infrastructure or legislative, a top priority for the federal and local governments.
In an indication of the importance of the role the free zones play in supporting the national economy, their trade value constituted about 53.5% of the total non-oil trade in the country during the year 2019, amounting to 1.16 trillion dirhams, according to official statistics.
The value of imports of free zones reached about 356.5 billion dirhams in 2019, an increase of 2.7%, compared to 347 billion dirhams in 2018.
As for the level of exports of free zones, it increased during the past year to 264.8 billion dirhams, a growth of 1.3%, compared to 261.3 billion dirhams during the previous year.
The free zones include tens of thousands of foreign companies operating in various sectors, including manufacturing and warehousing services, in addition to logistics and commodity trading companies.
- The value of imports of free zones recorded 356.5 billion dirhams during the past year.