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The Statistics Centre – Abu Dhabi (SCAD) announced that the emirate’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) reached Dhs306.3bn in the second quarter of 2025, marking a 3.8 percent increase compared with Q2 2024.
The non-oil economy grew 6.6 per cent year-on-year to a record Dhs174.1bn, accounting for 56.8 per cent of total GDP—the first time non-oil activity has exceeded half of GDP in a second quarter.
Across the first half of 2025, Abu Dhabi’s economy recorded real GDP of Dhs597.4bn, up 3.63 per cent compared with H1 2024. Non-oil activities expanded 6.37 per cent to Dhs337.6bn, underscoring the emirate’s diversification momentum and policy-driven resilience.
Leadership perspective
Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED), said: “The consistent growth of Abu Dhabi’s GDP over the past few years underscores the emirate’s position as a dynamic economic hub guided by an ambitious vision, a multi-dimensional strategy, and detailed roadmaps to accelerate economic growth and diversification.
“Our non-oil sectors, which accounted for 56.8 per cent of GDP and achieved a 6.6 percent annual growth in Q2-2025 driven by key sectors such as manufacturing, construction, finance, real estate, and ICT, have emerged as leading drivers, underpinned by a globally competitive business ecosystem, and world-class infrastructure.
“Our Falcon Economy is building a future-ready economy; one that is diversified, resilient, inclusive, and globally competitive. The consistency of our GDP results underscores the effectiveness of Abu Dhabi’s progressive initiatives and forward-looking policies. Our priority remains building an innovation-led, high value economy, that expands private sector opportunities and enable all segments of society to realise their full potential.”
Abdulla Gharib Alqemzi, Director-General of SCAD, added: “The consecutive records achieved in Q1 and Q2 2025 highlight not only economic strength, but also the effectiveness of policy planning grounded in high-quality data. As the government advances its Dhs13bn digital strategy to become the world’s first AI-native government by 2027, SCAD is playing a central role in enabling this transition through timely, reliable, and integrated statistics. From population dynamics to sectoral performance, our data will continue to serve as a foundation for inclusive policymaking, innovation-driven development, and sustained economic progress.”
Sector performance highlights
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Manufacturing: Dhs30.1bn (+3.1 per cent YoY), its highest quarterly value on record. The Abu Dhabi Industrial Strategy has driven a 23 percent rise in industrial GDP since 2022 and a 19.4 per cent increase in industrial enterprises.
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Construction: Dhs30bn (+9.7 per cent), supported by major infrastructure and housing projects. AI-powered Binaa platform reduced permit times by 70 per cent.
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Finance and insurance: Dhs21.8bn (+10.3 per cent), reflecting Abu Dhabi’s position as a global financial hub. ADGM reported AUM growth of 42 percent in H1 2025, alongside a 47 per cent rise in new business licences.
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Real estate: Dhs11.7bn (+10.2 per cent), with H1 transactions up 39 percent and FDI from 85 nationalities increasing 3.3 percent.
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ICT: Dhs8.6bn (+6 per cent), the highest quarterly value yet, driven by the Dhs13bn Digital Strategy 2025–2027.
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Wholesale and retail trade: Dhs16bn (+1.6 per cent), supported by consumer spending, tourism recovery, and non-oil trade growth of 34.7 percent in H1 2025.
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Professional, scientific, and technical services: Dhs9bn (+10 per cent), highlighting demand for specialised knowledge-based services.
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Transportation and storage: Dhs7.5bn (+7.5 per cent), boosted by logistics hubs like KLP21 at KEZAD.
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Utilities: Electricity, gas, and water supply grew 12.5 percent, reflecting energy transition efforts.
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Arts and recreation: +12 percent, reflecting renewed cultural momentum.
Sustained economic trajectory
The strong Q2 results follow record performance in Q1 2025, reaffirming Abu Dhabi’s consistent economic growth. Successive gains across manufacturing, construction, finance, real estate, and ICT underline the effectiveness of long-term diversification and digital transformation strategies.
With the government advancing its ambition to become the world’s first AI-native government by 2027, Abu Dhabi continues to build a resilient, inclusive, and future-ready economy, anchored in innovation, investment, and sustainable growth.
