Dubai Airport Free Zone’s non-oil trade jumps 36% in 2021

Dubai Airport Free Zone’s non-oil trade jumps 36% in 2021

Dubai: Non-oil trade at Dubai Airport Free Zone (DAFZ) rose by more than 36 per cent year-on-year in 2021 – exceeding Dh162 billion last year compared to Dh119 billion the year before, it said on Sunday. Part of the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ), DAFZ contributed 10.7 per cent to Dubai’s non-oil trade in 2021, exceeding expectations across all sectors. The free zone also recorded a trade surplus of Dh9.3 billion. This growth was fuelled by the massive 48 per cent year-on-year increase in imports, exceeding even the record levels achieved in 2019 and resulting in a quadrupling of exports, reaching Dh1.4 billion in 2021. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of DIEZ, said: “These results have been pivotal in promoting economic recovery in Dubai and the UAE. The free zone has fully recovered from the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, with trade returning to pre-2020 levels. This has reinforced its mission to enhance its strategic goals and contribute to strengthening Dubai’s position as a global trade hub. “These unprecedented results align with the national economic performance, which recorded qualitative leaps recently following the strong growth of Dubai’s non-oil trade. This has become a new base for further