UAE government revenue at $31bn in Q1 2023

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UAE’s total revenues reached Dhs115.6bn in the first three months of the year, driven by robust domestic demand in the tourism, real estate, construction, transportation, and manufacturing sectors, according to the preliminary results of the UAE Government Finance Statistics Report.

The report said that total revenues included Dhs63.5bn of tax revenues, Dhs3.9bn of revenues from social contributions and Dhs48.2bn of other revenues from property income, sales of goods and services, fines and penalties, and transfers not elsewhere classified.

The Government Finance Statistics shows the total volume of government operations in the country and measures the financial activities of the government in an economy, and the government’s allocation of resources.

UAE’s revenue

The latest data from the Ministry of Finance shows that total expenditures amounted to Dhs92.5bn comprising net investment in non-financial assets and current expenses, including employees’ wages, use of goods and services, consumption of fixed capital, paid interest, subsidies, grants, social benefits, and other transfers as reported in the UAE Government Finance Statistics Report for Q1.

Net lending/net borrowing, an indicator of the financial impact of government activity on other sectors of the economy, stood at Dh23.2bn.

“These results reflect the efficiency of government expenditure and effective utilisation of financial resources in directing them to priority strategic sectors. It also showcases the advancement of the government’s financial framework and its success in developing new and diversified sources of government revenue away from oil, and adopting effective financial policies to manage and develop the government’s financial resources,” said Younis Haji Al Khouri, Undersecretary of Ministry of Finance.

He added: “The government’s financial performance enhances the UAE’s competitiveness and its move towards sustainable socio-economic development. The World Bank projects that the UAE’s non-oil sector is expected to achieve strong growth by the end of 2023, driven by robust domestic demand, particularly in tourism, real estate, construction, transportation, and manufacturing sectors.”

Open data policy

Publishing the preliminary results of the UAE Government Finance Statistics Report for the first quarter of 2023 in line with the open data policy followed by the UAE and is based on the standards of the Government Finance Statistics Manual issued by the International Monetary Fund.

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