Dubai''s economy grew 2.4% year on year in the first quarter of 2026, with gross domestic product reaching AED 232 billion (about $63.2 billion), according to figures published by the Dubai Media Office and state news agency WAM.
Growth was broad rather than concentrated. Financial and insurance activities led the expansion, wholesale and retail trade remained the largest single contributor to output, and healthcare was the fastest-growing sector in percentage terms.
Officials framed the result as evidence that the emirate''s diversification away from oil-linked income continues to hold, with the quarter also covering a period of regional geopolitical disruption.
The quarterly reading matters for planning: trade and logistics volumes set the tone for warehousing and staffing demand, while finance and healthcare growth is the part of the mix that drives office take-up, licensing and specialist hiring.
Dubai publishes GDP data quarterly through Dubai''s statistics authority, so Q2 figures will show whether the finance-led pattern persisted through the summer.