The programme establishes 2024 as the unified base year for national accounts while reconstructing the GDP time series for the period from 2010 to 2026, according to a WAM report on the approval by the Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. This step will deliver a more precise picture of the economy’s actual size, diversity and growth momentum, improving the reliability of official statistics and their comparability at the global level. The changes are expected to bolster confidence among investors and international institutions, aiding the UAE’s position as a leading economy.
The initiative addresses structural transformations in the national economy in recent years, the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre stated in coordinated announcements. Rapid expansion in non-oil activities along with growth in services, the digital economy, technology and investment sectors has driven the need for updated measurements. Administrative data sources, including those from corporate tax and value-added tax implementation, now allow for broader coverage that better reflects economic realities.
An integrated national framework aligned with the UN System of National Accounts and international best practices underpins the programme, WAM reported. Updating the base year, expanding data sources and improving integration of administrative records will yield more accurate, consistent and transparent economic indicators. The effort includes an institutional commitment to periodic base year revisions in keeping with global statistical standards.
A unified national methodology for reviewing GDP data ensures the statistics system’s ongoing development, according to details released with the approval. Future updates will adhere to recognised international methodological frameworks and depend on the availability of national data. Such comprehensive national accounts reviews represent standard practice among advanced statistical offices as economies evolve and new data sources emerge.
The Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre leads the programme’s execution via a national partnership with local statistics centres and federal entities, the announcement noted. Collaborating bodies include the Central Bank of the UAE, the Ministry of Finance, the Federal Tax Authority, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation and the Emirates Investment Authority among others. This coordinated approach builds a detailed national economic database supporting enhanced GDP time series.
As the strategic umbrella for modernising the national statistics system, the programme bundles legislative, institutional and technical measures, according to the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre. Components encompass a national statistics strategy, policies to support statistical work, a statistical data platform, a statistical leadership development programme and the UAE Principles for Official Statistics document. Digital Dubai highlighted that the National Programme for Developing Statistics System reinforces UAE’s leadership in decision-making through these advancements.
