DMCC's Future of Trade 2026 report confirms the UAE's second-place global ranking, behind only the United States, even as its index score declined slightly from 2024, reflecting a tightening race among the world's leading commodity trade hubs.
The UAE has retained second place in DMCC’s 2026 Commodity Trade Index, outranking Switzerland, Hong Kong, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and China, behind only the United States. The finding comes from DMCC’s Future of Trade 2026 report, titled ‘Rebuilding Through Rupture,’ which assessed 10 of the world’s most significant commodity trade hubs across three pillars: commodity endowment, locational and trading partner factors, and institutional strength.
THE 2026 COMMODITY TRADE INDEX, RANKED
| Rank | Country | Index Score 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | 57% |
| 2 | United Arab Emirates | 47% |
| 3 | Netherlands | 47% |
| 4 | Switzerland | 44% |
| 5 | Hong Kong SAR, China | 43% |
| 6 | Singapore | 41% |
| 7 | United Kingdom | 36% |
| 8 | China | 29% |
| 9 | South Africa | 21% |
| 10 | Nigeria | 18% |
The UAE scored 47%, tied with the Netherlands but holding the higher rank. Its strongest performance came in commodity endowment factors (61%) and institutional factors (61%), the latter driven primarily by the UAE’s corporate tax regime, the most competitive of all ten hubs assessed.
The UAE’s overall score declined three percentage points from 2024, driven primarily by an estimated drop in petroleum exports in March and April 2026 following infrastructure damage and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. A larger fall was prevented by the resilience of trade through the ports at Fujairah and Khor Fakkan, which allowed rerouting around the Strait. The report notes this score decline reflects the impact of an extraordinary external event rather than any structural weakening of the UAE’s commodities position.
“The UAE’s second place ranking in the 2026 Commodity Trade Index reflects the strengths that matter most to businesses when making long-term investment and trading decisions,” said Feryal Ahmadi, Deputy CEO and Chief Operating Officer of DMCC. “Companies increasingly place value in jurisdictions that offer predictability and the ability to operate across multiple markets with confidence.”
Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DMCC, added: “The map of global trade is being redrawn. While growth is increasingly coming from the corridors connecting the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Latin America, businesses are looking for places that can provide stability and help them navigate a more complex trading landscape. The UAE has spent decades building exactly that environment.”
The report also highlights the UAE’s position as a frontrunner in next-generation trade finance infrastructure, among a small group of jurisdictions with clear stablecoin regulatory frameworks, and identifies the country as the most deliberate of the world’s middle powers in building a critical minerals hub.
Source: DMCC, Future of Trade 2026: Rebuilding Through Rupture
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