Amman, Oct. 22 (Petra) – The Arab Investment and Export Credit Guarantee Corporation (Dhaman) reported a 4.5 percent increase in Arab trade in goods and services in 2024, reaching $3.6 trillion. The growth was driven by a 1.7 percent rise in exports to $1.9 trillion and a 7.8 percent increase in imports to over $1.7 trillion.
Dhaman said in its second quarterly Investment Guarantee bulletin for 2025 that Arab trade in goods grew by more than 5 percent to $2.8 trillion, with commodity exports reaching $1.5 trillion. Imports rose 11 percent, exceeding $1.3 trillion, resulting in a merchandise trade surplus of $167 billion, down 43 percent from the previous year.
The report noted that Arab merchandise trade accounted for 5.6 percent of global trade and roughly 13.1 percent of trade in developing countries. Raw materials represented 73 percent of Arab exports, with fuel alone comprising 54 percent, while manufactured goods made up 64 percent of imports.
Trade remained geographically concentrated, with three Gulf countries, Egypt, and Iraq accounting for 76 percent of total Arab trade. The United Arab Emirates represented over 40 percent of this total. China continued as the largest trading partner, with a 16 percent share of Arab commodity trade.
Intra-Arab trade increased by 16.6 percent to over $250 billion, representing 9 percent of total Arab trade and concentrated primarily in the Gulf states, Egypt, and Iraq. Dhaman highlighted improvements in trade openness, export diversification, and commercial fleet capacity, alongside declines in export capacity, connectivity to maritime networks, and rising import dependence.
Dhaman reaffirmed its support for boosting Arab commodity exports and imports of strategic and capital goods, providing trade insurance services valued at $27 billion by the end of 2024.
Established in 1974 and headquartered in Kuwait, Dhaman is a multilateral institution serving all Arab countries and four joint Arab financial institutions, offering specialized insurance against credit and political risks to facilitate foreign investment and strengthen Arab trade.
//Petra// AJ
