{
  "id": 13357588,
  "title": "UAE GDP advances 0.4% despite second-quarter contraction",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/10/uae-gdp-advances-0-4-despite-second-quarter-contraction",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-10-10T05:53:17.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Arabian Post",
    "slug": "arabian-post",
    "url": "https://thearabianpost.com/uae-gdp-advances-0-4-despite-second-quarter-contraction/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The UAE economy grew by 0.4% in the first half of 2026, reaching a real gross domestic product of Dh961.9 billion, according to figures released by the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre. Despite a contraction in the second quarter, non-oil activities sustained growth, contributing 79.2% to the national economy compared to 78.1% a year earlier. Non-oil GDP increased by 1.8% year on year, lifting its contribution to 79.2% from 78.1% the previous year. However, the second quarter saw real GDP decline by 2.1% to Dh476.9 billion, with non-oil activities contracting by 1.1%. This contraction was attributed to regional developments and travel disruptions affecting sectors reliant on cross-border movement and commercial activity. Financial and insurance activities recorded the strongest growth during the first half, expanding by 14.8%, followed by information and communication activities with a 7.3% increase. Construction saw a 5.1% rise, while government activities grew by 3.6%. Trade accounted for the largest share of non-oil GDP at 16.2%, followed by financial and insurance activities at 15.2%. The sectoral figures revealed varying rates of growth within an economy facing weaker conditions during the second quarter. The FCSC emphasized that the expansion of non-oil industries highlighted the UAE's diverse economic growth drivers, with government institutions now having a more differentiated picture of economic performance than a mere overall growth rate would suggest.",
  "summary": "Arabian Post Staff -Dubai The UAE economy expanded by 0.4 per cent in the first half of 2026, reaching Dh961.9 billion in real gross domestic product, as non-oil activities sustained growth despite a contraction during the second quarter. Figures released on Friday by the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre (FCSC) showed that non-oil GDP increased by 1.8 per cent compared with the…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}