Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates
Neighborly ties, businesses and institutional cooperation link Saudi Arabia and the Emirates. The Coordination Council has organized a broad agenda since 2016. Economic and oil cooperation can coexist with business competition and differing national decisions.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-07 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-07Economic integration and capabilities
The council proposes resource use, economic solutions and educational cooperation.
Sectoral cooperation and observed data
The institutional profile helps identify long-term areas of work.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | 42,426.09 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / SAU |
| Goods: Saudi Arabia to United Arab Emirates | 28,044.66 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / SAU |
| Goods: United Arab Emirates to Saudi Arabia | 14,381.43 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / SAU |
| Services trade | ||
| Export share: Saudi Arabia to United Arab Emirates | 8.99 % | 2025 · UN Comtrade / SAU |
| Export share: United Arab Emirates to Saudi Arabia | ||
| Investment stock: Saudi Arabia in United Arab Emirates | ||
| Investment stock: United Arab Emirates in Saudi Arabia |
Definitions and sources
Trade adds both directions. Shares refer to the country’s total goods exports; investment is an accumulated stock, not an annual flow. Every figure retains the currency and period of its source. BEA positions are historical-cost estimates based on the immediate counterpart, not market values or investment by ultimate owner. ‘More than’ indicates a lower bound, not an exact amount. A recorded stock does not establish new activity or authorisation to operate under sanctions.
- Goods trade
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / SAU · Goods; full year; SAU reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Goods: Saudi Arabia to United Arab Emirates
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / SAU · Goods; full year; SAU reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Goods: United Arab Emirates to Saudi Arabia
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / SAU · Goods; full year; SAU reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Export share: Saudi Arabia to United Arab Emirates
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / SAU · Goods share: SAU exports to the partner / the same reporter's exports to the world, same year.
Country comparison
Period and source beside each figure · est. = estimate by the stated institution.
Some annual indicators refer to different years. Check the period beside each value before comparing them.
| Indicator | Saudi Arabia | United Arab Emirates |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 1.28 trillion USD2025 · WB | 552.32 billion USD2024 · WB |
| GDP per capita | 34,536.66 USD2025 · WB | 50,273.51 USD2024 · WB |
| GDP growth | 4.5 %2025 · WB | 3.99 %2024 · WB |
| Policy interest rate | 4.5 %2026-09-16 · SAMA | |
| Inflation · annual average | 2.08 %Annual average · 2025 · WB | 1.25 %Annual average · 2025 · WB |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | 1.8 %Headline CPI · 2026-08 · year-on-year · SAMA / GASTAT | |
| Unemployment | 3.04 %ILO est.2025 · WB | 2.17 %ILO est.2025 · WB |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -5.8 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 5.2 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 31.7 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 34.3 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | -2.56 %2025 · WB | 14.48 %2024 · WB |
| Population | 36,973,5552025 · WB | 10,986,4002024 · WB |
| Area | 2,149,690 km²2023 · WB | 98,648 km²2023 · WB |
| Military expenditure | ||
| Military expenditure (% of GDP) |
Definitions, dates and sources
Blank cells are not zero. Average annual inflation and the latest year-on-year figure appear in separate rows: they are not the same measure. Every annual indicator retains its reference year; when the years differ, the figures are identified as not directly comparable. When a figure is unavailable from the World Bank, an annual IMF estimate is used and identified as such. The latest year-on-year figure is the latest official release verified as of 7 October 2026. This includes advance releases marked as provisional. Mexico may have a fortnightly figure before the full month is published; it is not automatically compared with a monthly figure. The publication date is retained in each source’s details; it does not replace the observation period or the annual average. Policy rates carry their own dates and represent different instruments. Spain and France share the ECB rate. Balances are positive for surpluses and negative for deficits. The IMF may use fiscal years; unemployment retains each source’s definition (ILO estimates, IMF WEO or PCBS), as stated in the details. For Palestine, debt and the fiscal balance cover central government and retain the PCBS definition; they are not presented as consolidated general government. These are economic magnitudes, not measures of relationship quality.
Area retains each source’s territorial coverage; it does not determine sovereignty or effective control. Canada uses an archived national geographic reference. Military expenditure retains the 2024 SIPRI sample distributed by the World Bank: the amount and percentage of GDP use that same definition, which differs from NATO’s. It is not an approved budget or a 2026 figure. Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Military expenditure database · Terms of use0
Indicators reviewed: 2026-10-07. Each source retains its original access date; this review does not turn all the data into 2026 observations. Figures may be revised.
- Nominal GDP
- Current USDSaudi Arabia: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.United Arab Emirates: 2024 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- GDP per capita
- Current USD per personSaudi Arabia: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.United Arab Emirates: 2024 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- GDP growth
- Annual real change (%)Saudi Arabia: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.United Arab Emirates: 2024 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Policy interest rate
- Central bank instrument (%)Saudi Arabia: 2026-09-16 · Repo rate; not reverse repo (4.00%) · SAMA · Official central-bank decision; not a commercial lending rate or a bill yield.
- Inflation · annual average
- Average annual change in headline CPI (%)Saudi Arabia: 2025 · Annual average change in the CPI (%) · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.United Arab Emirates: 2025 · Annual average change in the CPI (%) · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Inflation · latest year-on-year figure
- Headline CPI relative to the same period of the previous year (%); monthly or fortnightly frequency statedSaudi Arabia: 2026-08 · Year-on-year inflation; official SAMA / GASTAT indicator · SAMA / GASTAT · August 2026 indicator verified in SAMA's indexed version. The dynamic homepage does not expose the value in HTML without JavaScript; publication date unavailable. · Alternative official source; verified 2026-10-07
- Unemployment
- % of the labour force; definition used by the stated institutionSaudi Arabia: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate, % of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.United Arab Emirates: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate; percentage of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Budget balance
- General government (% of GDP)Saudi Arabia: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO estimate, not a monthly observation. Retains the country's fiscal year where it differs from the calendar year.United Arab Emirates: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · WEO general-government estimate, % of GDP. Not an observed balance for the current month.
- Gross public debt
- General government (% of GDP)Saudi Arabia: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO estimate, not a monthly observation. Retains the country's fiscal year where it differs from the calendar year.United Arab Emirates: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · WEO general-government estimate, % of GDP. Not an observed balance for the current month.
- Current account balance
- % of GDPSaudi Arabia: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.United Arab Emirates: 2024 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Population
- PeopleSaudi Arabia: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query. Extrapolated assuming the same growth rate as the previous year.United Arab Emirates: 2024 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date. Preliminary.
- Area
- Total area in km²; territorial coverage of the sourceSaudi Arabia: 2023 · World Bank / FAO · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.United Arab Emirates: 2023 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Military expenditure
- Current USD per year; SIPRI series
- Military expenditure (% of GDP)
- Percentage of GDP; SIPRI definition, not NATO’s definition
Other data specific to this relationship
What they buy and sell
Documented selection, not an exhaustive list. Cells without a figure do not mean zero value; some products are identified without a verified amount.
Saudi Arabia to United Arab Emirates
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 15,117.1 M USD2025 · Source |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 1,175.3 M USD2025 · Source |
| Land vehicles and components | 781.5 M USD2025 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 195.4 M USD2025 · Source |
| Mineral fuels and oils | 5.8 M USD2025 · Source |
United Arab Emirates to Saudi Arabia
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Mineral fuels and oils | 1,889.3 M USD2025 · Source |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 763.4 M USD2025 · Source |
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 301.1 M USD2025 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 289.6 M USD2025 · Source |
| Land vehicles and components | 213.7 M USD2025 · Source |
Connections between people
Education, work, visits and community connections have their own records and procedures. Residents are not equivalent to annual arrivals, and visits may be repeated. The tables retain dates, definitions and sources to distinguish these connections from business contracts and government decisions. [2]
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from Saudi Arabia living in United Arab Emirates | ||
| Residents from United Arab Emirates living in Saudi Arabia | ||
| Study and training: Saudi Arabia in United Arab Emirates | ||
| Study and training: United Arab Emirates in Saudi Arabia | ||
| Academic stays: Saudi Arabia in United Arab Emirates | ||
| Academic stays: United Arab Emirates in Saudi Arabia | ||
| Travel: Saudi Arabia to United Arab Emirates | ||
| Travel: United Arab Emirates to Saudi Arabia |
What each figure measures
Residents are counted by nationality and the coverage of the stated register, not as people born in the other country or as new arrivals in one year. PERE includes dual nationals and people born outside Spain. Study with OPT and stays carrying academic credit are different measures. Travel may include several visits by the same person; FRONTUR arrivals require an overnight stay, whereas the Canadian survey includes day visits. These figures are neither added together nor automatically compared across directions.
Mobility data added or reviewed: 2026-10-07. Reference periods may be earlier.
Underlying ties
History, institutions and long-standing issues.
The Coordination Council
The governments agreed to create the Saudi-Emirati council in May 2016. The Emirati foreign ministry describes economic, educational, political and security objectives within the Gulf framework. The mechanism has its own tasks and follow-up. Its existence does not merge institutions or turn every business initiative into a joint obligation; each project retains its financing, responsible parties and schedule. [1]
Economic integration and capabilities
The council proposes resource use, economic solutions and educational cooperation. Companies in the two markets can cooperate and compete simultaneously. An institutional integration objective does not imply identical regulation in every sector or automatically disbursed capital. The customs table observes actual trade in goods, separate from services, subsidiary sales and announcements of new projects. [1]
The regional oil environment
Saudi Arabia participates with Russia and other producers in OPEC+ reviews, such as the September 2026 review. It is a multilateral mechanism with its own membership, not the Saudi-Emirati bilateral council. Production, exports and prices require separate records. Oil cooperation does not automatically determine every diplomatic position or equate to bilateral oil trade. [2]
The scale of the two economies
Saudi Arabia recorded nominal GDP of 1276.9 billion USD in 2025, compared with 552.3 in 2024 for the United Arab Emirates. The reference populations were 36.97 million (2025) and 10.99 million (2024), respectively. The figures contextualize market size; they do not in themselves describe well-being, individual wealth or political influence. IMF estimates or demographic extrapolations retain their markings in the table. A ratio is not calculated when the periods do not match. [4] [5] [6] [7]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Reviewed: 2026-10-07
Sectoral cooperation and observed data
The institutional profile helps identify long-term areas of work. The 2025 records provide an economic observation with a defined reporting country and year, distinct from future commitments. Border and people-to-people ties require their own counts. The relationship is not presented as lacking all competition, nor total goods trade as a single measure of political convergence. [1]
Observed economic exchange
In 2025, recorded goods trade between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates totaled 42,426.1 million USD. Saudi Arabia's shipments to the United Arab Emirates were USD 28,044.7 million; shipments in the opposite direction were USD 14,381.4 million. Saudi Arabia's shipments to the partner represented 8.99% of its goods exports to the world, using the same year and reporter. A single customs declaration is used for both directions. This annual flow does not include all services activity or subsidiaries' local sales and is not added to accumulated investment capital. [3]
Milestones and consequences
Sources and data
Periods and scope of the figures
Each figure retains its period, unit, definition and source. Announcements, contracts and results are not interchangeable. Empty cells do not mean zero. Customs data for 2025 are not presented as activity observed during later crises.
- Saudi–Emirati Coordination Council
Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- OPEC+ producers' meeting
OPEP · Institutional source · Document: 2026-09-06 · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Annual TOTAL X/M; 2025; reporter 682; partners 0,643,784,634
UN Comtrade / SAU · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- NY.GDP.MKTP.CD; 2023–2025; country and period preserved; no military series
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- NY.GDP.MKTP.CD; ISO and reference year; no military dataset expansion
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- SP.POP.TOTL; 2023–2025; country and period preserved; no military series
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- SP.POP.TOTL; ISO and reference year; no military dataset expansion
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 27; 2025; reporter 682; partners 643,784,634; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / SAU · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 30; 2025; reporter 682; partners 643,784,634; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / SAU · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 84; 2025; reporter 682; partners 643,784,634; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / SAU · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 87; 2025; reporter 682; partners 643,784,634; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / SAU · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 85; 2025; reporter 682; unique partners; X/M; bounded retry after rate-limit cooldown
UN Comtrade / SAU · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
Additional sources on products and human connections
- UN Comtrade / SAU
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 27; 2025; reporter 682; partners 643,784,634; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / SAU
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 85; 2025; reporter 682; unique partners; X/M; bounded retry after rate-limit cooldown.
- UN Comtrade / SAU
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 84; 2025; reporter 682; partners 643,784,634; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / SAU
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 87; 2025; reporter 682; partners 643,784,634; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / SAU
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 30; 2025; reporter 682; partners 643,784,634; X/M; annual goods.