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Non-oil trade of Abu Dhabi up 32.64 per cent

The trade prospects showed encouraging signs since December last year when it rose by a perceptible 63 per cent and since then there has been no looking back.

According to Abu Dhabi Customs Deaptment statistics, improvement in storage facilities in the ports and the steady increase in re-exports have been among the contributory factors in the emirate's growing profile as a trading hub in the region. The total volume of non-oil trade during the first half of this year stood at Dh14.78 billion, surpassing convincingly the figure of Dh11.14 million for the same period the previous year.

Imports witnessed a 30 per cent rise to reach Dh13.18 billion as against Dh1.14 billion for the periods under comparison.

The developments are marked by Saudi Arabia slipping from is dominant position as the most important trading partner of Abu Dhabi. The Kingdom has yielded place to Germany in imports and to Iran and China in re-exports.

Germany has emerged as the top importing source accounting for Dh1.81 billion to edge out Saudi Arabia to the second spot with a tally of Dh1.78 billion. Japan with a figure hovering around Dh1.69 billion is close on the heels of Saudi Arabia.

China was the top export market, accounting for a figure of nearly Dh144 million, up from just over Dh48 million.

Heavy machinery dominated the import ledgers, indicating the strides made in industrialisation and indigenous production.

Abu Dhabi's trading labyrinths, all along mainly confined to the AGCC and Arab states, are now spreading over to all the continents, that explains the buoyancy in the scenario.