The UAE's non-oil private-sector economy continued to improve in September, as new business intake and stronger sales led activity to reach its highest level in seven months.
The seasonally adjusted S&P Global UAE Purchasing Managers' Index climbed to 54.2, up from 53.3 the previous month. The sharp increase signals a solid and quicker improvement in the non-oil business sector and marks the second consecutive monthly expansion in the Arab world’s second-largest economy.
"The UAE PMI made up some lost ground in September following a trend of moderating growth in the middle of the year,” said David Owen, senior economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence.
“Indeed, the latest reading of 54.2, which sits just below the survey long-run average, suggests that non-oil business performance has recovered well since its trough in July.”
Central to the sharp improvement was a “strong recovery” in demand growth across the non-oil sector in September.
After reaching its weakest rate in more than four years in August, new growth in orders rose to its highest since February, as companies welcomed better demand conditions, increased client engagement and new projects.
While overall growth in sales volumes was supported by domestic customers, orders from foreign clients also rose, albeit at a slower pace, the S&P survey found.
"Over 30 per cent per cent of surveyed firms reported an increase in new order intakes during the month, which drove a sharp improvement in sales growth,” Mr Owen said.
September data also indicated that non-oil private sector companies in the UAE raised the employment levels at the fastest rate since May, to account for the increased business activity.
Economic momentum
Gross domestic product of the UAE, which has been boosting efforts to diversify its economy away from oil, expanded by 3.9 per cent annually to Dh455 billion in the first quarter of this year, according to preliminary estimates from the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre.
Non-oil GDP rose 5.3 per cent year-on-year, contributing more than 77 per cent of total real GDP, data released last month found.
The UAE Central Bank last month increased its 2025 growth forecast for the country’s economy from 4.4 per cent to 4.9 per cent, on a surge in non-oil activity.
The UAE last month also announced the launch of the National Policy for Economic Clusters, with the goal of boosting the country's GDP by more than Dh30 billion.
On Thursday, the International Monetary Fund said the UAE economy is projected to outperform the global average this year, as it is expected to remain resilient to global economic uncertainty and geopolitical headwinds.
The IMF projects the Emirates' GDP to expand 4.8 per cent this year – slightly lower than the UAE Central Bank's forecast – driven by strong non-hydrocarbon growth and Opec production increases before expanding by 5 per cent in 2026.
Dubai PMI
While businesses surveyed remained optimistic about the UAE’s economic growth prospects in the next 12-months, S&P data showed Dubai's PMI also edged higher in September to 54.2 from 53.6 in August.
Dubai non-oil firms reported a sharper increase in new work levels last month. The pace of sales growth also accelerated to an eight-month high in September, after recording a modest upturn a month earlier.
Rising new business led to a robust expansion in output and increasing employment across the emirate's non-oil private sector.
The rate of job creation was the quickest in a year, with firms showing “much stronger optimism” towards future activity in Dubai, S&P Global said.
The five pillars of Islam
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
PSL FINAL
Multan Sultans v Peshawar Zalmi
8pm, Thursday
Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
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Director: Sriram Raghavan
Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan
Rating: 3.5/5
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
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Monterrey 1
Funes Mori (14)
Liverpool 2
Keita (11), Firmino (90 1)
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
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The specs
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
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Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
WHAT IS GRAPHENE?
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics.
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Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
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Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
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Engine: 5.2-litre V10
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Warlight,
Michael Ondaatje, Knopf