Dubai's electronic goods trade amounts Dhs18.8bn during 1st half of 2008

The study by Dubai World's Statistics Department showed that Iran topped the list of re-export destinations while China topped among countries from where Dubai imported electronic goods during the period. Most of the export was to Morocco.

Saeed Alqaizi, Director of Group Procurement, Contracts, Statistics and General Administration, Dubai World, said:

"Thanks to its strategic location and its harnessing of top-notch electronic technologies and machinery, the UAE has encouraged the growth and development of several sectors, especially the trade and commercial sector. This helped Dubai to become one of the most prominent electronic trade hubs in the world."

"The free trade zones in Dubai contributed towards the enhancement of trade, particularly that of electronic goods, transforming into a vital link between the countries. These zones currently host a large number of leading multi-national companies manufacturing computers, audio-video systems, mobiles and other electronic goods."

Nassim Al Mehairi, Acting Head of Statistics Department, said the value of electronic equipment and devices trade, particularly those of mobile phones, computers, video and audio devices, jumped by Dhs2.4bn (around $655m), increasing from Dhs16.3bn (about $4,4bn) in the first half of 2007 to about Dhs18,8bn ($5,1bn ) during the first half of 2008.

According to the figures released by Statistics Department, Dubai's import of electronic goods rose to Dhs12.3bn in the first six months of this year compared to Dhs9.7bn in the first half of last year. Import from China topped the list at Dhs4.5bn, followed by Hungary in the second place at Dhs1.68bn, and Japan in the third place at Dhs970m.

Dubai's re-exports of electronic goods in the first half of 2008 was for Dhs6.3bn compared to about Dhs6,5bn during the corresponding period last year. Iran came in the first place at Dhs1,58m, followed by Iraq at Dhs763m and Libya at Dhs262m.

Export of electronic goods valued about Dhs4m in the first half of 2008, compared to Dhs11m during the same period in 2007. Morocco topped the list, followed by Qatar and Yemen.

The Statistics Department study also showed that mobile phones were the most traded electronic product during the first half of 2008 for a value of about Dhs7.6bn, followed by computer parts for about Dhs4.8bn and video/audio systems for about Dhs2.9bn.

Dubai's total non-oil foreign trade showed a surge by about Dhs104.4bn (about $28.4bn) in the first half of year 2008, reaching about Dhs296,6bn (about $80,8bn) compared to about Dhs192.2bn (about $52.3bn).