The United Arab Emirates imported more U.S. goods in 2006 than any other country in the Middle East. The UAE’s purchase of $11.9 billion worth of American merchandise provided a significant boost to U.S. manufacturers of a wide range of products, from commercial aircraft to oilfield equipment to automobiles.

U.S. exports to the UAE rose by over 40 percent between 2005 and 2006, more than double the level of 2004. The UAE imported more U.S. products in 2006 than Egypt and Turkey combined and more than such economic powerhouses as India and Spain. The UAE’s imports from the United States accounted for 26 percent of all U.S. exports to the Middle East and North Africa. In addition to merchandise exports, U.S. firms exported an estimated $500 million to $1 billion worth of services.

The robust growth of the UAE economy and its growing diversification, combined with the declining U.S. dollar and the emergence of the UAE as one of the world’s most important logistics hubs, contributed to the surge in imports from the United States. These factors will likely lead to steadily rising U.S. exports in years to come, according to the National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce (NUSACC), which estimates that the UAE will buy $14.7 billion.

Click here to view a web-friendly version of NUSACC's Tradeline - Special Edition on the UAE.

Links

Federation of United Arab Emirates Chambers of Commerce and Industry
Country Commercial Guide
CIA Factbook
World Bank
Embassy in the U.S.
U.S. Embassy in UAE