Saudi Arabia vs United Arab Emirates

Saudi Arabia vs United Arab Emirates: GDP growth

GDP growth in 2025: 4.6% a year in Saudi Arabia and 6.2% a year in United Arab Emirates, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United Arab Emirates, by 1.6 percentage points, or 1.36 times that in Saudi Arabia.

Watch it change on the map

% a year · IMF

Saudi Arabia vs United Arab Emirates: GDP growthGDP growth in 2025: 4.6% a year in Saudi Arabia and 6.2% a year in United Arab Emirates, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United Arab Emirates, by 1.6 percentage points, or 1.36 times that in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi ArabiaUnited Arab EmiratesIMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026)

What the numbers say

  • United Arab Emirates has been higher since 2023, when it overtook Saudi Arabia.
  • In 2025, Saudi Arabia ranked 44 and United Arab Emirates ranked 23 of 143 countries, counting from the highest.
  • The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Saudi Arabia at 3.6% a year and United Arab Emirates at 3.5% a year in 2031.

Every year

% a year · IMF

YearSaudi ArabiaUnited Arab Emirates
20254.66.2
20242.66.6
20230.54.3
2022127.5
20216.54.6
2020-3.8-8.7
20191.71.3
20183.21.5
20171.2-1.1
20161.75.7
20154.77.1
201444.6
20132.94.9
20125.84.7
201111.86.7
201057.9
2009-1.1-5.2
20086.23.2
20072.23.2
20063.39.8
20055.94.9
20048.69.6
20038.88.8
2002-0.72.4
20010.31.4
20004.712.3
1999-0.63.8
19982.80.9
19972.68.6
19963.35.4
19950.36.6
199417.4
19930.40.3
19924.63.1
19918.22.2
19909.423.6
19890.415.7
19886.6-2.6
1987-3.15.3
19861-19.3
1985-7.2-2.5
1984-44.5
1983-11-5.3
1982-16.1-7.2
198138
19805.8-1.8
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
YearSaudi ArabiaUnited Arab Emirates
2026-3.3-3.9
20277.97.7
20284.87
20293.45.9
20303.53.7
20313.63.5

Each country on its own

Good to know

  • How much the economy grew or shrank in a year, after inflation.
  • Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
  • The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
  • Ranks count the 143 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time

Saudi Arabia vs United Arab Emirates

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