A study carried out by the Ministry of Foreign Trade attributed the expansion to growing re-exports from the UAE to Muslim countries

The value rose 11.5 percent to $26 billion last year from $23.3 billion in 2009 while overall imports grew 16.8 percent to $23.2 billion in 2010 from the previous year’s $19.8 billion.

The value of nonoil exports from the UAE to these countries, meanwhile, dropped 1.1 percent to $6.675 billion from $6.749 billion.

The report, compiled by economic analyst Yousef Diab at the ministry’s analysis and commercial information unit, lists Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Turkey, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and Afghanistan as the UAE’s prominent trade partners from the Muslim world.

They accounted for more than 70 percent of the UAE’s nonoil trade with Muslim countries.

Iran topped the list last year, taking a share of 18.7 percent of the UAE’s total nonoil trade with these states as the value reached $10.4 billion, according to the study. Iraq came second ($ 5.8 billion), constituting 10.4 percent.

Saudi Arabia ranks no 3 ($5.7 billion), constituting a 10.3 percent share of the UAE’s nonoil trade with the countries.

Seventy-five percent of the UAE’s nonoil exports last year were to the following 10 countries: Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Egypt, Bahrain and Yemen.

Saudi Arabia tops the list with $1 billion (15.3 percent) and the study shows a 24.4 percent year-on-year increase in the UAE’s non-oil exports to the Kingdom last year.

Iran gains the second place with $737 million, constituting 11 percent of the UAE’s overall nonoil exports to Muslim countries with a growth rate of 20.6 percent in comparison with 2009.

Pakistan ranks third making up for 8.6 percent share of the UAE’s nonoil exports to these countries — recording a 13 percent increase for the same comparison period.

The study also highlighted a growth in the value of the UAE’s nonoil exports to the following countries: Egypt (50.7 percent increase), Kuwait (43.7 percent), Bahrain (35.2 percent), Yemen (33.8 percent) and Iraq (32.2 percent).

The re-export of commodities from the UAE to the Muslim Countries saw an increase of 11.5 percent as values rose to $26 billion in 2010 from $23.3 billion in 2009, constituting 51.4 percent of the UAE’s overall re-exports to the world.

All in all, 84.4 percent of the UAE’s re-exports to Muslim countries centered around the following 10 countries: Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Pakistan and Libya.

Iran tops the list with with 33 percent ($8.6 billion) while Iraq, with a 15.9 percent of total UAE re-exports to Muslim countries (6.1 percent higher than in 2009), came in second place and Afghanistan came in third with $ 2.1 billion and a 8.1 percent share, registering a steep increase of around 99 percent in comparison with the year 2009.

Total UAE imports from Muslim countries reached $ 23.2 billion in 2010 constituting 17.6 percent of its overall global imports. UAE imports from Muslim countries witnessed a 16.8 percent between 2009 and 2010.

More than 75.6 percent of these imports came from 10 countries, namely: Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Turkey, Pakistan, Sudan, Iraq, Indonesia, Iran, Libya and Oman.

Saudi Arabia leads the list of countries with $3.3. billion, taking up around 14 percent share of overall UAE imports from Muslim countries, followed by Malaysia in second place — witnessing a six percent growth from 2009 — with $ 2.9 billion.

Turkey occupies the third spot with $ 2.5 billion, constituting 10.7 percent of the UAE’s imports from these countries.

In another development on Sunday, Sharjah crown prince and deputy ruler Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al-Qasimi attended the opening of the 14th Private Sector Meeting for the Promotion of Trade and Joint Venture Investment among Islamic countries in Sharjah.