ABU DHABI, July 21 (Xinhua) -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE)'s trade in telecommunication services grew by 4.3 percent in 2024, reaching 10.2 billion Emirati dirham (2.78 billion U.S. dollars), up from 9.8 billion dirham in 2023, according to data released on Monday by the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Center.
The growth was primarily driven by strong performance in the fourth quarter of 2024, which recorded a year-on-year increase of 12.95 percent, bringing quarterly trade in telecom services to 2.70 billion dirham.
The data showed that telecom service exports rose by 6.49 percent in 2024 to 4.9 billion dirham, while imports increased by 2.38 percent to 5.3 billion dirham.
The fourth quarter accounted for the largest share of annual trade at 26.45 percent, followed by the third quarter at 25.34 percent, the second quarter at 25.05 percent, and the first quarter at 23.17 percent.
The robust growth in telecom services reflects the sector's strategic importance in supporting the digital economy, e-commerce expansion, and technological infrastructure development in the UAE.
The UAE also ranked among the top globally in 17 key indicators related to digital transformation in 2024 and 2025, according to various international reports.
The 2025 World Competitiveness Yearbook by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) ranked the UAE first globally in indicators such as digital transformation in companies, internet usage, and technological skills.
Additionally, the UAE ranked third globally in terms of legislative support for technology, and fifth in financing technological development. It also topped international rankings in telecom network coverage and internet usage, according to reports from the United Nations and the World Economic Forum.
The telecom services covered in the report include voice, video, and data transmission via telephone, email, fax, satellite broadcasting, business network services, virtual meetings, and mobile and internet-based communications. The figures do not include the value of the information transmitted.
