Sheikh Mohammed approves UAE national statistical system development programme
Sheikh Mohammed approves UAE national statistical system programme to modernize methods, refine GDP measurement and strengthen data-driven economic policymaking.
The UAE has launched a major programme to develop its national statistical system after receiving final approval from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, officials said. The initiative, announced by Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, aims to modernize statistical methodologies and place accurate, trusted data at the centre of economic decision-making. The programme will target measurement improvements across high-growth sectors, including foreign trade, logistics, supply chains and the digital economy, to give policymakers a clearer view of the country’s economic footprint.
Sheikh Mohammed approves national statistics development programme
The programme was formally endorsed to update the UAE national statistical system and strengthen the foundation for economic policy and planning. Officials described the approval as a strategic step to ensure that official statistics reflect the evolving structure and scale of the Emirati economy.
Dr. Al Zeyoudi said the move will usher in a new phase of statistical development designed to capture the real size and dynamics of the UAE economy. The programme’s endorsement confirms the federal government’s priority to base policy on precise and internationally comparable data.
Methodologies aligned with UN System of National Accounts
A central element of the programme is a comprehensive methodology review to align national practices with the UN System of National Accounts and other international standards. The review will update national calculation methods to global best practice, improving consistency and comparability of macroeconomic indicators.
Officials expect the alignment to raise the reliability and quality of economic statistics, enabling clearer international benchmarking. The methodological overhaul will include revisions to national accounts compilation and GDP measurement techniques to better reflect modern economic activities.
Improved measurement for trade, logistics and digital economy
The development programme places particular emphasis on sectors that have seen rapid structural change, notably foreign trade, logistics, and digital economic activities. Enhanced measurement approaches will aim to more accurately estimate the value added from cross-border trade, supply-chain services and digital transactions.
By refining how these activities are captured in official statistics, the programme intends to provide a more realistic assessment of their contribution to GDP. This will help policymakers monitor sectoral performance, identify emerging trends and design targeted policies that support continued growth and competitiveness.
Federal-local partnership to consolidate data sources
Implementation will be driven through a coordinated partnership between the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre, local statistics centres and federal data-providing agencies. The collaborative model seeks to institutionalize data sharing and integration across the public sector to produce comprehensive, high-quality datasets.
Officials said the partnership approach will strengthen data pipelines for economic indicators and promote standardised reporting across emirates and federal entities. The programme will also encourage the use of administrative and transactional data to supplement traditional surveys, improving timeliness and reducing reporting burdens.
Enhanced measurement of trade, payments and investment flows
A key objective is improving how the national accounts capture activities related to trade facilitation, supply-chain services, payment flows and investment projects. The programme will develop methods to quantify the value added generated by logistics providers, payment processors and investment-linked commercial activities more accurately.
Better measurement of these components is expected to reveal the economic impact of initiatives that underpin the UAE’s role as a global trade and investment hub. Officials highlighted the need to detect structural shifts and to evaluate the effects of new projects and policies with greater precision.
Policy implications for GDP, competitiveness and long-term planning
Refined statistics are intended to provide a stronger evidence base for economic and commercial policy formulation. Clearer GDP metrics and sectoral data will enable policymakers to assess policy effectiveness, prioritise reforms and calibrate measures to support sustainable, diversified growth.
The programme is also designed to support the UAE’s long-term development targets by reinforcing the data infrastructure required for forecasting and strategic planning. Reliable, internationally comparable statistics will assist both public and private sector stakeholders in making informed investment and operational decisions.
The federal authorities said the programme will be rolled out through phased implementation, technical capacity building and ongoing collaboration with global statistical bodies. By modernising the UAE national statistical system, the government aims to ensure that future economic planning is guided by precise, timely and comprehensive data that reflects the country’s evolving economic landscape.
