Iran and United Arab Emirates
Earlier diplomatic consultations and economic connections coexist with a regional crisis that changed the relationship during 2026. The Emirates announced suspension of trade and financial transactions with Iran in August. That change should not be hidden behind earlier business activity statistics.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-07 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-07Consultations in Tehran in February 2026
The second political consultation session was held in Tehran on February 10.
The shared interests agenda
The consultations addressed practical ways to advance interests and issues affecting regional peace and security.
The difference between February and August
The documents show dialogue early in the year and a subsequent restrictive decision.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | ||
| Goods: Iran to United Arab Emirates | ||
| Goods: United Arab Emirates to Iran | ||
| Services trade | ||
| Export share: Iran to United Arab Emirates | ||
| Export share: United Arab Emirates to Iran | ||
| Investment stock: Iran in United Arab Emirates | ||
| Investment stock: United Arab Emirates in Iran |
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.
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 | Iran | United Arab Emirates |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 362.68 billion USD2025 · WB | 552.32 billion USD2024 · WB |
| GDP per capita | 3,924.38 USD2025 · WB | 50,273.51 USD2024 · WB |
| GDP growth | -2.83 %2025 · WB | 3.99 %2024 · WB |
| Policy interest rate | ||
| Inflation · annual average | 42.17 %Annual average · 2025 · WB | 1.25 %Annual average · 2025 · WB |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | ||
| Unemployment | 8.3 %ILO est.2025 · WB | 2.17 %ILO est.2025 · WB |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -5.7 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 5.2 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 37.3 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 34.3 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | 0.6 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 14.48 %2024 · WB |
| Population | 92,417,6812025 · WB | 10,986,4002024 · WB |
| Area | 1,745,150 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 USDIran: 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 personIran: 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 (%)Iran: 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 (%)
- Inflation · annual average
- Average annual change in headline CPI (%)Iran: 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 stated
- Unemployment
- % of the labour force; definition used by the stated institutionIran: 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)Iran: 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)Iran: 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 GDPIran: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO estimate. The annual reference may follow Iran's fiscal calendar.United Arab Emirates: 2024 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Population
- PeopleIran: 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. Preliminary.
- Area
- Total area in km²; territorial coverage of the sourceIran: 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.
Iran to United Arab Emirates
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
United Arab Emirates to Iran
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
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 Iran living in United Arab Emirates | ||
| Residents from United Arab Emirates living in Iran | ||
| Study and training: Iran in United Arab Emirates | ||
| Study and training: United Arab Emirates in Iran | ||
| Academic stays: Iran in United Arab Emirates | ||
| Academic stays: United Arab Emirates in Iran | ||
| Travel: Iran to United Arab Emirates | ||
| Travel: United Arab Emirates to Iran |
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.
Consultations in Tehran in February 2026
The second political consultation session was held in Tehran on February 10. Ministers and deputy ministers, ambassadors and officials from both sides participated. The Emirati statement describes bilateral and regional issues and future coordination. That meeting documents a dialogue channel on its date, not guaranteed continuity of all commercial operations during subsequent crises. [1]
The shared interests agenda
The consultations addressed practical ways to advance interests and issues affecting regional peace and security. Diplomatic dialogue and economic activity have different mechanisms. Businesses, carriers and financial entities require their own rules; a foreign ministry meeting does not automatically authorize any transaction. Historical business connections do not equal an absence of controversies or security risks. [1]
Economic suspension announced in August
On 19 August 2026 the Emirati foreign ministry stated that all trade, commercial exchanges and financial transactions with Iran had been suspended until further notice because of regional escalation. The declaration is attributed to its spokesperson. It is not a record of each shipment or an independent quantification of the effect, but constitutes an official position relevant to understanding the changed context. [2]
The scale of the two economies
Iran recorded nominal GDP of 362.7 billion USD in 2025, compared with 552.3 in 2024 for the United Arab Emirates. The reference populations were 92.42 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. [3] [4] [5] [6]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Reviewed: 2026-10-07
The difference between February and August
The documents show dialogue early in the year and a subsequent restrictive decision. The 2025 goods data, if available, describe earlier activity and do not prove current access. The profile distinguishes these stages without treating a diplomatic contact as subsequent reopening or turning an announced suspension into a zero value for a statistical year not yet completed. [2]
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.
- Political consultations in Tehran
Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs · Institutional source · Document: 2026-02-10 · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Suspension of trade and financial transactions with Iran
Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs · Institutional source · Document: 2026-08-19 · 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