Maritime profile: United Arab Emirates

GENERAL INFORMATION FOR 2021
Population
GDP
Merchandise trade¹
9.365 Millions
418 279 Millions current US$
772 689 Millions current US$
Land area²
GDP growth
Transport services trade³
(o) 71 020 Km²
4.34 %
177 944 Millions current US$
MARITIME KEY FIGURES FOR 2021
More data on UNCTADstat
Coast/area ratio²
Ship building⁴
Ship recycling⁴
40.4 m/km²
5 043 GT
0.000 GT
Fleet - National flag⁵
Fleet - National flag⁵
Fleet - Ownership⁶
746 Thousands DWT
626 ships
26 263 Thousands DWT
Container port throughput⁷
Number of seafarers⁸
Number of port calls⁹
19 297 684 TEU
(l) 7 987
25 836
WORLD SHARES FOR 2021
0.12 %0.18 %0.43 %1.90 %1.54 %0.03 %0.09 %1.24 %0.93 % Less than 0.01% of the World total Less than 0.01% of the World total0.33 %0.50 %2.42 %1.62 %1.79 %0.60 %0.89 %0.77 %1.06 %0.12 %0.18 %0.43 %1.90 %1.54 %0.03 %0.09 %1.24 %0.93 % Less than 0.01% of the World total Less than 0.01% of the World total0.33 %0.50 %2.42 %1.62 %1.79 %0.60 %0.89 %0.77 %1.06 %
INTERNATIONAL MERCHANDISE TRADE
More data on UNCTADstat
+26.8 %
Merchandise exports growth rate in 2021
Total merchandise trade
(millions of US$)
2005
2010
2015
2021
Merchandise exports
117 287
(e) 214 000
300 477
425 160
Merchandise imports
84 654
(e) 165 000
263 417
347 529
Merchandise trade balance
32 633
(e) 49 000
37 059
77 631
Export structure by product group in 2021
(as % of total exports)
19 %19 %34 %34 %35 %35 %7 %7 %5 %5 %
Top 5 partners in 2021
(exports, millions of US$)
60 65040 10236 69028 02823 93460 65040 10236 69028 02823 934
INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN TRANSPORT SERVICES
More data on UNCTADstat
+51.5 %
Transport services exports growth rate in 2021
Services exports by main category¹⁰
(as % of total services)
2005
2010
2015
2021
Transport
22.1
20.9
38.5
24.3
Travel
67.3
73.1
28.8
33.8
Other services
10.6
6.0
32.7
41.9
Total trade in transport services¹⁰
(millions of US$)
2005
2010
2015
2021
Transport services exports
1 059
2 451
23 417
24 752
Transport services imports
11 012
25 780
13 751
12 471
Transport services trade balance
-9 953
-23 329
9 666
12 280
NATIONAL FLEET
More data on UNCTADstat
+2.5 %
Fleet growth rate in 2021
Carrying capacity by type of ship⁵
(Thousands DWT)
2005
2010
2015
2021
Total fleet
986.0
1 412.3
999.7
745.5
Oil tankers
485.0
650.2
363.5
42.6
Bulk carriers
16.0
119.8
0.0
23.2
General cargo
100.0
82.3
104.8
198.3
Container ships
227.0
377.8
171.1
66.4
Other types of ships
158.0
182.2
360.3
415.1
Fleet by type of ship⁵
(Number of ships)
4863118118492312001849521110175072106022505299025
LINER SHIPPING CONNECTIVITY
More data on UNCTADstat
Bilateral connectivity index - Top 10 partners in Q1 2021¹¹
Can only take values between 0 (minimum) and 1 (maximum)
0.4830.4740.4700.4550.4480.4470.4440.4430.4410.4410.4830.4740.4700.4550.4480.4470.4440.4430.4410.441
Liner shipping connectivity index¹¹
Maximum 2006=100 for China
73.974.776.076.676.577.276.472.072.171.471.970.971.772.172.672.971.871.471.669.670.169.668.869.769.067.866.463.564.064.363.963.763.764.465.164.765.261.259.960.861.361.761.362.061.161.762.162.262.462.762.963.758.353.551.651.650.849.550.049.348.548.947.547.4
PORT CALLS AND PERFORMANCE
More data on UNCTADstat
Port calls, time spent in ports, vessel age and size in 2021⁹
 
Number of arrivals
Median time
in port (days)
Avg age
of vessels
Avg size (GT)
of vessels
Avg cargo
carrying
capacity (DWT)
per vessel
Avg container
carrying
capacity (TEU)
per container ship
Maximum size (GT) of vessels
All ships
25 836
1.20
15
30 637
45 688
4 026
232 618
Liquid bulk carriers
9 285
1.17
16
30 367
54 557
..
170 611
Liquefied petroleum gas carriers
450
1.32
12
33 889
39 175
..
57 494
Liquefied natural gas carriers
144
1.80
18
110 764
80 707
..
137 535
Dry bulk carriers
2 522
2.22
13
34 538
61 369
..
94 724
Dry breakbulk carriers
2 628
1.02
17
7 096
9 399
..
66 870
Roll-on/ roll-off ships
961
..
18
40 734
15 840
..
76 420
Container ships
7 228
1.00
17
44 125
..
4 026
232 618
Passenger ships
2 618
..
8
5 555
..
..
181 541
Port liner shipping connectivity index - Top 5 ports in 2021¹¹
Maximum 2006=100 for China, Hong Kong SAR
6.06.06.06.06.06.36.36.36.36.36.33.93.93.93.93.93.93.93.93.93.93.96.29.99.911.711.811.411.411.612.312.712.312.112.111.711.410.711.111.311.48.35.712.112.212.111.711.611.612.511.88.99.89.813.013.711.912.213.113.39.713.014.314.014.014.014.014.013.713.714.013.46.013.013.812.012.411.511.111.011.19.08.68.68.710.918.318.318.118.118.318.318.318.318.619.519.98.947.147.147.949.044.144.143.343.644.044.143.845.144.845.144.641.842.042.442.742.542.342.442.442.742.738.035.635.433.631.831.734.035.431.531.631.831.031.031.031.231.225.624.824.824.424.825.024.824.225.925.623.657.258.559.659.658.457.156.851.751.950.849.635.135.935.835.634.533.734.033.135.135.535.035.534.735.234.233.633.033.133.431.631.131.731.530.875.877.378.178.478.880.179.275.075.374.475.875.074.075.576.476.775.174.575.273.573.773.464.464.563.966.064.861.766.266.266.065.665.866.767.366.966.463.262.062.563.063.562.663.662.662.463.063.063.363.864.764.955.553.448.546.945.643.843.640.339.238.937.937.4
Source: Detailed data sources are available in the documentation of the corresponding tables in the Data Center (http://stats.unctad.org/data_center). A link to these tables is provided in each section of the profile.
Notes:
1
Sum of exports and imports.
2
Land area refers to the total area of a country excluding area under inland water bodies. It differs from the country area, that includes area under inland water bodies, but excludes offshore territorial waters.
Coastline length based on data calculated in 2000 from the World Vector Shoreline database at 1:250,000 scale.
3
Sum of exports and imports. Statistics presented correspond to the 6th edition of the IMF Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual, 2009 (BPM6, 2009).
4
Propelled seagoing merchant vessels of 100 GT and above. Source: Clarksons Research (https://www.clarksons.com/services/research/).
5
Propelled seagoing merchant vessels of 100 GT and above, on 1 January. Source: Clarksons Research (https://www.clarksons.com/services/research/).
6
Propelled seagoing merchant vessels of 1000 GT and above, on 1 January. Source: Clarksons Research (https://www.clarksons.com/services/research/).
7
UNCTAD Secretariat, derived from various sources including Dynamar B.V. Publications, terminal operators and port authorities. Refers to year 2020.
8
Refers to year 2021. Source: BIMCO-ICS Manpower Report 2015 and BIMCO-ICS Seafarer Workforce Report, 2021 edition.
9
UNCTAD Secretariat, based on data provided by MarineTraffic (http://marinetraffic.com). Ships of 1000 GT and above.
10
Statistics presented correspond to the 6th edition of the IMF Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual, 2009 (BPM6, 2009).
11
UNCTAD Secretariat, generated from data provided by MDS Transmodal (https://www.mdst.co.uk).
e
Estimated.
l
Estimated by BIMCO/ICS based on estimates of seafarer demand.
o
Estimated. Data refers to 2020.
Symbols for missing values:
0
Zero means that the amount is nil or negligible
..
Not available or not separately reported
_
Not applicable
...
Not available, including no quotation
#
Non-relevant calculation
-
Not publishable
***
Negative accumulation of flows; Value included in regional and global totals
Abbreviations & acronyms:
DWT:
Dead weight tons
LNG:
Liquefied natural gas
LPG:
Liquefied petroleum gas
GDP:
Gross domestic product
GT:
Gross tons
TEU:
Twenty foot equivalent unit
Disclaimer:
The designations employed and the presentation of the material on UNCTADstat do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
Where the designations "economy" or "country or area" appear in texts or tables, they cover regions, countries, territories, cities or areas.
The designations "developing", "transition" and "developed" are intended for statistical convenience and do not necessarily express a judgement about the stage reached by a particular economy in the development process.

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Generation date: 20 October 2022