Dubai foodstuff trade reaches Dhs29.2bn in 2007

The figures released by the Statistics Department of Dubai World show that foodstuff imports are still forming the larger part of this trade (69.55% of the total trade volume) while exports were at 15.80% and re-exports at 14.64%.

Naseem Al Muhairi, Acting Manager of the Statistics Department-Dubai World, said:

"The trade of foodstuff and consumer items in Dubai has grown steadily over the past five years. We have noticed through our periodical statistical monitoring of the trade movement that demand has increased as a natural result of population growth coupled with the economic boom and the development in construction and tourism activities, as well as the increase in investments in tourism sector."

The volume of foodstuff trade has increased by Dhs5.5bn to reach Dhs29.243bn in 2007 compared to 23.740 in 2006. Imports had the biggest share (Dhs20.339bn at 69.5%) of the total trade volume, while exports were around Dhs4.621bn (Dhs4.2bn in 2006) and re-exports Dhs4.282bn (Dhs3.661bn in 2006).

India remained Dubai's top foodstuff trading partner with a total trade for Dhs3.734bn in 2007 (Dhs2.203bn in 2006). Iran was in the second place with 2.157bn in 2007 (Dhs2.039bn in 2006). Brazil, USA, Pakistan, UK, Iraq, the Netherlands and Australia were the other major trading partners.

The volume of direct foreign non-oil trade (excluding free zone and customs warehouses) was around Dhs425.4bn in 2007 (Dhs316.44bn in 2006), with a 34% increase, while such trade through free zones was around Dhs237.8bn in 2007 (Dhs193.7bn in 2006) and Dhs15.3bn in 2007 (Dhs13.4bn in 2006) through customs warehouses.