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Dubai’s economy continued to maintain its strong upward momentum in the first half of 2025, surpassing projections and consolidating its position as a one of the world’s most vibrant and competitive urban economies. The emirate’s GDP grew 4.4% to reach AED 241 billion in the first half of the year. In the second quarter alone, Dubai’s GDP climbed 4.7% to AED 122 billion.

This high performance was driven by exceptional results across key sectors that continue to underpin Dubai’s sustainable growth and economic resilience.

The human health and social work activities sector recorded the highest growth, expanding 20% and contributing 1.4% to overall GDP growth. The construction sector also maintained strong momentum, growing 8.5% and contributing 6.7% to Dubai’s GDP in H1 2025.

The Emirates Group today announced a new record half-year financial performance, posting a profit before tax of AED 12.2 billion (US$ 3.3 billion) for the first six months of 2025-26, making this the fourth consecutive year of record profitability for the half-year reporting period.

In a testament to the continued resilience and vitality of its economy, Dubai recorded a GDP of AED119.7 billion in the first quarter of 2025, marking a 4% growth from the same period in 2024.

Key Takeaways:

1. Aligned with the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, the growth in visitation boosts the tourism sector’s role as a pathway to attract new residents and businesses
2. Dubai’s hotel sector records 80.6% occupancy, 22.24 million room nights, 5% ADR growth and 7% RevPAR increase in H1 2025
3. Dubai’s evolving destination offering, driven by impactful public-private partnerships and amplified through a robust global marketing strategy, resulted in the city welcoming 9.88 million international overnight visitors from January to June 2025 – a 6% increase compared to the same period in 2024, according to data published by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET).