Over the past three years, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has strategically enhanced its economic alliances with leading global markets and achieved record levels of foreign investment and non-oil trade, hitting unprecedented volumes.

In the first nine months of 2024 alone, trade reached historical highs exceeding 2.8 trillion dirhams.

The UAE's ability to maintain its economic momentum was notably tested by the destructive Houthi terrorist attacks on civilian sites within the country three years ago.

Commemorated recently, these events highlighted the steadfastness of the UAE’s economy, which now boasts one of the fastest growth rates worldwide.

This resilience underlines the UAE's emergence as a global trade, investment hub, and talent magnet, demonstrating that its development aspirations remain steadfast against terrorist threats.

The nation’s non-oil foreign trade has seen exceptional growth over these years, culminating in the new trade record.

For 2024, the UAE is projected to surpass a GDP threshold of 1.7 trillion dirhams for the first time.

Additionally, 2024 witnessed the establishment of 200,000 new companies, with foreign direct investment anticipated to reach 130 billion dirhams, up from 111 billion in 2023. The UAE now ranks first regionally and eleventh globally in attracting foreign direct investments.

Strategically, the UAE has signed comprehensive economic partnerships with 24 countries spanning five continents, with 18 agreements formally signed and six operational.

Furthermore, negotiations have concluded for another six agreements, pending official signing.

Local economic development entities and free zones, supported by the UAE’s Ministry of Economy, have issued over 200,000 new economic licenses in 2024. The nation's unified economic registry now records approximately 1.1 million businesses.

The tourism sector has also thrived, with the UAE welcoming about 29 million tourists in 2024, marking an 8% increase.

The sector contributed approximately 236.4 billion dirhams to the GDP, growing by 7.6%.

UAE airports processed 150 million travelers, and hotels logged over 105 million overnight stays with more than 30 million guests.

Significantly, Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport received global acclaim, including the 'Most Beautiful Airport in the World' award, citing its innovative architectural design.

The airport served over 30 million passengers in 2024, consolidating the UAE’s status as a pivotal aviation hub.

In the energy sector, 2024 witnessed the UAE commencing commercial operations at the fourth unit of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant.

This marks the first instance of all four plants operating fully, collectively producing 40 terawatt-hours of clean electricity annually, meeting 25% of the country's demand without carbon emissions.

The UAE has risen in global competitiveness indices, leading in infrastructure quality, business environment flexibility, and investment appeal.

It achieved top rankings in the 2024 Ease of Doing Business Index and third position globally in the Logistics Services Index, reflecting advanced infrastructure efficiency.

These accomplishments reflect the UAE’s robust economic foundations and its capacity to overcome challenges with agility and strength.

As major global economies continue to forge long-term partnerships with the UAE, the nation reinforces its position among the world's most potent economies, successfully thwarting terrorist agendas.