Eid Al Etihad 2025 Showcases UAE’s Global Edge
The UAE celebrates its 54th Union Day with remarkable achievements that showcase the nation’s progress in diplomacy, economy, AI and global competitiveness. The International Monetary Fund projects UAE’s economic growth to reach 4.8 percent. The country’s non-oil foreign trade reached AED1.7 trillion in the first half of the year, showing a 24.5 percent increase. UAE has also climbed to the world’s top five positions in the 2025 IMD World Competitiveness Ranking.
The Ministry of Economy and Department of Economy and Tourism lead initiatives that help broaden and strengthen UAE’s economy. World leaders consistently choose UAE as their destination, and the nation maintains a strong presence at major international summits like G20, BRICS 2025, and COP30. UAE stands among the largest aid donors globally with US$1.46 billion in assistance, which reinforces its position as a humanitarian leader. The nation made history in 2017 by becoming the first country to implement a national artificial intelligence strategy and create a ministerial position to lead it. This shows its steadfast dedication to learning about “new frontiers in science that support development and bring lasting benefit to humanity”.
UAE strengthens global diplomacy in 2025
The UAE cemented its position as a global diplomatic powerhouse in 2025. The country leveraged its relationships to resolve international crises effectively. The nation’s foreign policy, built on partnership and cooperation, has made it a trusted intermediary in complex regional and global disputes.
UAE mediates in global conflicts
The UAE demonstrated remarkable trust from conflicting parties and facilitated 17 prisoner exchanges between Russia and Ukraine. These exchanges led to 4,641 detainees’ release since the conflict began. President Sheik Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s intervention resulted in the Washington Joint Declaration in August 2025. This declaration established full diplomatic and trade ties between Armenia and Azerbaijan. His Highness led intensive efforts in June to contain and halt repercussions of Israeli military strikes on Iran. He emphasized diplomatic solutions over military escalation.
Leaders promote peace through dialog
UAE leadership championed dialog as the only viable path toward lasting peace consistently. His Highness Sheik Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, stressed that “promoting dialog, adhering to international law, and respecting the sovereignty of states are essential principles for resolving the current crises”. The UAE’s calls for restraint and diplomatic solutions reflect its steadfast dedication to stability in various conflict zones.
Humanitarian aid to Gaza, Sudan, and Yemen
The UAE expanded its humanitarian footprint globally through significant diplomatic efforts. Operation Chivalrous Knight 3 delivered 90,000 tons of aid worth AED 6.61 billion to Palestinians by mid-September. The UAE pledged an additional AED 734.39 million to Sudan, which brought its total aid since April 2023 to AED 2204.63 million. Yemen received contributions reaching Dh26 billion to support stability and reconstruction efforts. The UAE’s international aid exceeded Dh370 billion, reaching over one billion people worldwide.
UAE hosts major international summits
The UAE served as a vital platform for international dialog. The country hosted direct talks between Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders in July 2025, which strengthened its position as a trusted peace broker. These diplomatic initiatives highlight the UAE’s strategic vision to build bridges, prevent conflicts, and prioritize humanity’s collective interests.
UAE accelerates economic growth and trade
Image Source: Global Finance Magazine
The UAE’s economy shows incredible strength in 2025. The country’s strategic plans have led to unprecedented growth in multiple sectors. Trade, investment, and tourism continue to thrive as the nation moves away from oil dependency.
Non-oil trade hits AED1.7 trillion
The UAE reached a historic milestone in non-oil foreign trade during 2025’s first half. Total value soared past AED1.7 trillion with a 24.5% growth rate. This growth is a big deal as it means that it’s 14 times higher than the global average of 1.75%. Non-oil exports jumped to AED370 billion – triple the amount from five years ago. These exports now make up 21.4% of total foreign trade, setting a new record in UAE’s history. Re-exports grew by 14% to AED389 billion, which strengthens the UAE’s role in global supply chains.
Ministry of Economy launches investment strategy
The Cabinet gave its approval to National Investment Strategy 2031 in March 2025. The strategy wants to push total foreign investment inflows from AED 111.99 billion in 2023 to AED 239.78 billion by 2031. The UAE has also committed AED 5.14 trillion over 10 years to AI, frontier technologies, energy, and manufacturing. Industry, logistics, financial services, renewable energy, and information technology are the target sectors. The federal Ministry of Investment, now two years old, works to make investment policies smoother and more competitive.
Dubai economy sees tourism and hospitality boom
The UAE’s hospitality sector had another excellent year in 2025. Revenue per available room (RevPAR) and average daily rate (ADR) both rose by 11.9% compared to last year. Abu Dhabi led the growth with a 24% increase in RevPAR and 20.2% in ADR. Dubai, which has the Emirates’ largest hospitality market, saw RevPAR grow by 10.1%. The UAE’s average occupancy climbed 4% to reach 78.5%. The country’s status as a luxury destination shows in its hotel mix – 26% upscale rooms, 22% luxury and 21% upper upscale.
Department of Economy and Tourism reports record visitors
Dubai attracted 9.88 million international overnight visitors in 2025’s first half, growing 6% from the same period in 2024. The UK remains one of Dubai’s strongest markets with 711,000 overnight visitors, showing 13% growth year-on-year. The first quarter brought in 5.31 million international visitors, up 3% from Q1 2024. Dubai looks set to welcome about 19.5 million visitors by year-end, adding to its streak of record-breaking years.
UAE leads innovation in AI and digital economy
Image Source: CIO
AI has become the life-blood of UAE’s digital transformation that propels the nation into a new era of technological leadership as it celebrates Eid Al Etihad 2025.
AI adoption reaches 97% across sectors
UAE stands as a regional measure for responsible AI adoption, with 97% of residents now using AI for work, study, or personal purposes. The country claims the top global ranking for workplace AI adoption, and 59.4% of its working-age population uses AI tools daily. This widespread integration could add AED 298 billion to the economy.
UAE-US AI Campus inaugurated
UAE President Sheik Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and US President Donald Trump attended the opening of a landmark 5GW UAE-US AI Campus in Abu Dhabi. The facility, which is the largest outside the United States, will provide regional compute capacity that serves nearly half the global population. The campus will use nuclear, solar, and gas power to minimize carbon emissions.
Global partnerships with Google and France
UAE has built strategic collaborations with global tech leaders. The country’s collaboration with Google launched the ‘AI for All’ initiative that provides detailed AI training programs throughout 2026. UAE and France also created a framework for a 1 gigawatt data center dedicated to artificial intelligence, with investments between AED 110.16-183.60 billion.
450,000 programmers drive tech transformation
The National Program for Coders surpassed its initial goal of attracting 100,000 coders with over 450,000 programmers by 2025—a remarkable 376.9% increase from 2020. UAE now ranks among the world’s top 10 destinations that attract AI talent.
UAE expands sustainability and humanitarian leadership
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Environmental protection stands as a core priority in UAE’s national policy as it celebrates Eid Al Etihad 2025. The country leads ambitious programs in clean energy, conservation, and humanitarian aid.
UAE commits to climate neutrality by 2050
UAE became the first Middle East and North Africa nation to announce a Net Zero target. The country’s detailed strategy includes over 25 programs in power, industry, transport, buildings, waste, and agriculture sectors. This bold plan will create 200,000 jobs and add about 3% to the national GDP. The government has invested AED600 billion in renewable energy.
Launch of solar, hydrogen, and wind projects
The Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai leads the renewable revolution and delivers electricity at record-low costs. The solar capacity will grow from 9,606 MW in 2025 to 21,670 MW by 2030. Masdar now invests in clean energy projects across 40+ countries. The Barakah Nuclear Power Plant supplies 25% of UAE’s electricity needs.
Expansion of nature reserves and deep-sea missions
President Sheik Mohamed has directed Abu Dhabi to increase its protected natural areas to 20% of the emirate’s total land. The expansion adds three new land reserves and two marine reserves. The emirate now has 26 protected areas that cover 22,821 square kilometers.
UAE ranks among top global aid donors
UAE became the world’s third-largest humanitarian aid donor in 2025. The country’s contributions reached AED 5.36 billion, which represents 7.2% of all aid recorded by the United Nations. UAE gave AED 9.4 billion to Gaza and set aside AED 3 billion for Sudan.
The UAE has made remarkable strides on many fronts as it celebrated its 54th Union Day in 2025. The nation’s diplomatic skills have made it a trusted global mediator. It has successfully facilitated prisoner exchanges and peace agreements between warring parties. The economic landscape shows great resilience. Non-oil trade reached a record AED1.7 trillion in the first half of the year.
The UAE leads the world in technological innovation with a 97% AI adoption rate nationwide. It has built strategic collaborations with global tech leaders. These tech advances align perfectly with the country’s bold sustainability goals. The nation aims to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 through extensive renewable energy projects.
The UAE’s humanitarian efforts shine brightly too. It ranks among the world’s top aid donors and provides vital support to Gaza, Sudan, and Yemen. This comprehensive approach to national growth shows the UAE’s ability to balance economic success, tech progress, environmental protection, and global citizenship.
These achievements create a solid foundation as the nation moves beyond this milestone celebration. The UAE continues to lead globally in diplomacy, innovation, and humanitarian action. Its strategic vision benefits not just Emiratis but also promotes regional stability and global progress.
The UAE’s growth from its founding to its current global influence stands as one of our time’s most inspiring success stories. Eid Al Etihad 2025 celebrates past achievements and marks the start of an even brighter chapter in the nation’s future.
