By IANS/WAM,
Dubai: Dubai’s non-oil trade rose by 18 percent to 576 billion UAE dirhams (about $156 billion) in 2010, it was announced Monday.
The figure was 488 billion dirhams in 2009, and 613 billion dirhams in 2008.
Ahmed Butti Ahmed, executive chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation and director general of Dubai Customs, said last year’s figure indicated an improvement in the non-oil trading sector of Dubai.
In 2010, Dubai’s direct exports surged to a record 68 billion dirhams, up by 30 percent, compared to 52 billion dirhams in 2009.
This achievement shows the high quality of the local products and their competitiveness in the external markets.
“Exports in 2006 reached more than 18 billion dirhams, and increased to 27 billion dirhams in 2007. It was 43 billion dirhams in 2008,” Ahmed said.