Today's Edition
A.SREENIVASA REDDY (ABU DHABI)
Total trade between the UAE and the US reached a record-breaking $39 billion in 2025, with US exports to the UAE rising 16% year-on-year to $31.4 billion, according to new data released by the US Department of Commerce and highlighted in a statement from the UAE Embassy in Washington .
The robust trade activity resulted in a $23.8 billion trade surplus for the United States — the largest US trade surplus in the MENA region and the fourth largest globally.
In 2024, US exports to the UAE stood at $26.9 billion, with the US enjoying a $19.5 billion trade surplus.
The UAE has now remained the top export destination for US goods and services in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region for the 17th consecutive year.
“The new trade data reinforces an accelerating bilateral economic and investment relationship, and a steady increase in demand for American innovation, technology and services in the UAE,” the embassy statement said .
UAE investments in the US currently surpass $1 trillion, and the UAE remains on track to fulfil its pledge to invest $1.4 trillion into the US economy over the next decade.
“The UAE-US relationship is a strategic partnership rooted in trust, shared security interests and long-term economic investment,” said Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba.
“The 2025 trade data underscores how that partnership delivers real results — with US exports to the UAE increasing 16% year over year to reach $31.4 billion — supporting American jobs, strengthening supply chains and accelerating innovation across critical sectors. As the UAE continues to diversify its economy, we are increasingly looking to American partners to help drive progress in sectors ranging from aerospace and healthcare to renewable energy and AI,” Al Otaiba said .
“Whether through large-scale sovereign investments or the expansion of Emirati businesses in the US market, we remain dedicated to our $1.4 trillion investment commitment. This commitment reflects our long-term bet on American growth and technological leadership,” he added.
“Together, the UAE and the US are building resilient supply chains, advancing next-generation technologies and expanding opportunity for businesses in both countries.”
According to the embassy statement, economic cooperation is expanding rapidly across AI, semiconductors, energy and critical minerals, reshaping the nature of the UAE-US economic relationship.
This deepening engagement follows US President Donald Trump’s visit to Abu Dhabi in May 2025, which resulted in more than $200 billion in commercial deals and the launch of the US-UAE AI Acceleration Partnership.
AI has emerged as a transformational pillar of the relationship. As US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum noted during recent engagements, the UAE is aligned with the US in values, economic vision and partnership, backed by substantial sovereign investment capital that supports AI development.
UAE Preferred — a storytelling initiative run by the UAE Embassy in Washington to spotlight the bilateral economic partnership — notes that the UAE’s open, business-friendly environment and its position as a global logistics hub provide more than 1,500 American companies with access to the broader $8 trillion Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) markets .
The initiative also highlighted the scale and speed of the economic partnership, stating that with over $1 trillion invested and $39 billion in annual bilateral trade in 2025, the UAE-US economic relationship combines significant scale with rapid capital deployment and policy coordination.
