DMCC's American Business Roster Reaches 740 as UAE-US Goods Trade Hits Record
The Dubai free zone says US companies there now make up nearly half of an estimated 1,500 American firms in the UAE, against US$39.1 billion in bilateral goods trade.
DMCC, the Dubai free zone and business district, now counts 740 American companies among the businesses operating there, a 6.5% increase over the past 12 months. The zone says that cluster represents almost half of an estimated 1,500 American firms doing business across the UAE.
The company count arrives against a heavier flow of goods. UAE-US bilateral trade reached US$39.1 billion in 2025, up 13% year on year. American exports to the UAE climbed 16.2% to US$31.4 billion, and the UAE held its position as the largest US export market in the Middle East and North Africa for the 17th consecutive year.
Ahmed Bin Sulayem, executive chairman and CEO of DMCC, described the US$39.1 billion figure as a record and said the economic partnership between the two countries continues to deepen. He pointed to the 17-year run as America's biggest MENA export destination and said the trade numbers reflect strong commercial ties and the opportunities available to businesses on both sides.
On DMCC's own membership, Bin Sulayem said the American count grew 6.5% in 12 months to 740, and that those companies account for nearly half of the estimated 1,500 American firms in the country.
DMCC brought its Made For Trade Live roadshow to Miami in partnership with the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce. The event gathered American business leaders and industry representatives to look at international expansion through Dubai. Bin Sulayem said the roadshow was held with the UAE Consulate General in Miami alongside the chamber, and that it builds on complementary strengths the two cities share as gateways to international markets.
He added that DMCC expects to welcome more American businesses and to help them find partners and expand across the Middle East, Africa and Asia from a Dubai base.
The Miami programme also included the Dubai-Latin America Trade, Investment and Private Wealth Roundtable, organised by DMCC with the UAE Consulate General. That session convened representatives from Latin American markets to discuss trade and investment opportunities, with the agenda centred on private wealth, family offices and international business expansion.
American members of the zone work across technology, professional services, precious metals and stones, energy, media and marketing, and cryptocurrency and Web3. DMCC's proposition to them is access: it markets Dubai as a base for reaching customers and suppliers in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, and courts international firms on that basis.
The trade figures help explain the recruitment effort. American exports to the UAE grew faster than two-way trade overall, which means more US producers are pushing goods into the region, and those companies need somewhere to hold stock, hire staff and run regional operations. A free zone that already houses close to half of the American corporate presence in the country starts with an advantage in chasing that business. The spread of sectors — trading desks in precious metals alongside crypto and Web3 firms — suggests the American arrival is not confined to one industry.
Pairing the Miami roadshow with a consulate-backed roundtable puts a diplomatic channel behind what is otherwise a commercial sales pitch, and extends the same model to Latin American investors weighing a Dubai presence.
