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Trade between Spain and the United Arab Emirates

In 2024, Spain exported $2.4 billion to the United Arab Emirates and imported $698 million. Spain ran a surplus of $1.7 billion with the United Arab Emirates, compared with a surplus of $1.6 billion in 2019. The United Arab Emirates was Spain’s 42nd largest trading partner (0.4% of its trade), and Spain was the United Arab Emirates’ 31st (0.5%).

Summary

Spain → United Arab Emirates
$2.4billion
United Arab Emirates → Spain
$698million
Spain’s balance
$1.7billion

Balance

Spain’s trade balance with the United Arab Emirates

Trade between Spain and the United Arab Emirates grew 12.7-fold since 1995

USD billions (current). Spain’s exports and imports; bars: its balance (green surplus, red deficit).

  • Exports 2.4
  • Imports 0.7
  • Balance +1.7

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$199 million$48 million$152 million
1996$238 million$145 million$93 million
1997$288 million$175 million$113 million
1998$301 million$113 million$189 million
1999$266 million$90 million$176 million
2000$304 million$90 million$213 million
2001$333 million$68 million$265 million
2002$486 million$142 million$344 million
2003$681 million$101 million$580 million
2004$612 million$114 million$498 million
2005$714 million$149 million$565 million
2006$1 billion$106 million$923 million
2007$1.3 billion$153 million$1.1 billion
2008$1.7 billion$396 million$1.3 billion
2009$1.3 billion$105 million$1.2 billion
2010$1.3 billion$167 million$1.1 billion
2011$1.8 billion$338 million$1.5 billion
2012$2.1 billion$370 million$1.7 billion
2013$2.5 billion$534 million$2 billion
2014$1.8 billion$319 million$1.5 billion
2015$1.7 billion$541 million$1.1 billion
2016$1.8 billion$389 million$1.4 billion
2017$2.2 billion$413 million$1.8 billion
2018$2.1 billion$483 million$1.6 billion
2019$2.2 billion$577 million$1.6 billion
2020$1.9 billion$368 million$1.5 billion
2021$2.1 billion$981 million$1.1 billion
2022$2.1 billion$1.6 billion$571 million
2023$2.2 billion$1.1 billion$1.1 billion
2024$2.4 billion$698 million$1.7 billion

What they sell each other

What Spain sells to the United Arab Emirates

The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.

  1. Airplanes and helicopters$235 million · 9.7%
    127 tonnes · Spain’s destinations
  2. Perfumes$98 million · 4%
    3 thousand tonnes · Spain’s destinations
  3. Turbojets and gas turbines$96 million · 3.9%
    49 tonnes · Spain’s destinations
  4. Cars$89 million · 3.7%
    4 thousand tonnes · Spain’s destinations
  5. Medicines in measured doses or retail packs$87 million · 3.6%
    2 thousand tonnes · Spain’s destinations
  6. Fragrance mixtures$70 million · 2.9%
    3 thousand tonnes
  7. Ceramic tiles$61 million · 2.5%
    101 thousand tonnes
  8. Unwrought zinc$60 million · 2.4%
    22 thousand tonnes · Spain’s destinations
  9. Gold$54 million · 2.2%
    1 tonne · Spain’s destinations
  10. Makeup and skin care$45 million · 1.8%
    7 thousand tonnes · Spain’s destinations

What the United Arab Emirates sells to Spain

The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.

  1. Refined petroleum$265 million · 37.9%
    331 thousand tonnes · the United Arab Emirates’ destinations
  2. Unwrought aluminum$106 million · 15.3%
    41 thousand tonnes · the United Arab Emirates’ destinations
  3. Gold$62 million · 8.8%
    1 tonne · the United Arab Emirates’ destinations
  4. Rapeseed and mustard oil$47 million · 6.7%
    42 thousand tonnes
  5. Turbojets and gas turbines$22 million · 3.2%
    26 tonnes · Spain’s sources
  6. Batteries$18 million · 2.6%
    5 thousand tonnes · Spain’s sources
  7. Cameras and broadcast equipment$15 million · 2.1%
    25 tonnes
  8. Polyethers, polyesters and epoxy resins$13 million · 1.8%
    9 thousand tonnes
  9. Medicines in measured doses or retail packs$12 million · 1.7%
    Spain’s sources
  10. Welded steel pipes$11 million · 1.6%
    12 thousand tonnes

How it travels

Estimated sea route from Valencia to Jebel Ali.

The estimated sea route between Valencia and Jebel Ali is 10,658 nautical miles (19,739 km) long: ≈ 24.5–31.5 days at sea (at 18 and 14 knots).

Because of the 2024 disruptions, traffic is split: 85% via the Strait of Gibraltar, the Cape of Good Hope and the Strait of Hormuz (10,658 nautical miles); and 15% via the Suez Canal, the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Strait of Hormuz (4,786 nautical miles).

Sailing estimate without port calls, waiting or transshipment; not a schedule. One main reference port per country: in large countries it does not represent all of its ports.

Split by transport mode

  1. Sea$2.2 billion · 70.9%
  2. Air$911 million · 29.1%

Mode estimated from value per kilo and geography; both directions together.

How much each matters to the other

The United Arab Emirates was Spain’s 42nd largest trading partner (0.4% of its trade), and Spain was the United Arab Emirates’ 31st (0.5%).

The United Arab Emirates in Spain’s trade
0.4%
The United Arab Emirates’ rank among Spain’s partners
42nd
Spain in the United Arab Emirates’ trade
0.5%
Spain’s rank among the United Arab Emirates’ partners
31st

Compare with

Other partners of Spain

Other partners of the United Arab Emirates

Sources and methodology

Sources and licenses

Methodology

Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), in current US dollars, with exports and imports reconciled between countries. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. The sea route comes from our own network derived from World Bank shipping density (not from nautical charts), between one main reference port per country (World Port Index); days are the distance at 14 and 18 knots, without port calls or waiting. Data up to 2024.