Abu Dhabi Strengthens GDP Measurement to Better Capture the Digital Economy
29 Sep 2026
Statistics Centre - Abu Dhabi (SCAD) has launched the Digital Economy Survey, a strategic initiative designed to strengthen the measurement of digital economic activity and provide a clearer picture of how technology, artificial intelligence and digital business models are contributing to Abu Dhabi’s economy.
Statistics Centre - Abu Dhabi (SCAD) has launched the Digital Economy Survey, a strategic initiative designed to strengthen the measurement of digital economic activity and provide a clearer picture of how technology, artificial intelligence and digital business models are contributing to Abu Dhabi’s economy.
As the emirate’s economy evolves, economic value is increasingly being created through digital platforms, AI-enabled services, cloud technologies, fintech, e-commerce and data-driven business models. The survey will strengthen the statistical evidence available to identify these activities, measure their economic contribution and track their development over time.
The survey will engage businesses across key areas of the digital economy, including e-commerce and digital platforms, financial technology and digital financial services, software and cloud services, transport and delivery platforms, data services and digital infrastructure.
It will collect data on areas such as digital revenues, the use of emerging technologies and the role of digital business models in economic activity, helping establish a statistical baseline for monitoring the evolution of Abu Dhabi’s digital economy.
H.E. Abdulla Gharib Alqemzi, Director General of Statistics Centre – Abu Dhabi, said: “This initiative forms part of SCAD’s broader modernization of Abu Dhabi’s economic measurement framework and complements the comprehensive revision of the emirate’s gross domestic product time series announced in May 2026. The survey will provide data to capture digital economic activities and their contribution to Abu Dhabi’s economy more fully, helping official statistics reflect changes in the structure of the economy and meet the needs of decision makers.”
The Digital Economy Survey also supports the objectives of the UAE Digital Economy Strategy, which aims to increase the digital economy’s contribution to national GDP from 9.7% in 2022 to 19.4% within ten years.
The findings will complement Abu Dhabi’s existing official economic statistics and provide a stronger evidence base to support economic diversification, competitiveness, investment and sustainable growth.
Abu Dhabi Strengthens GDP Measurement to Better Capture the Digital Economy
29 Sep 2026
Statistics Centre - Abu Dhabi (SCAD) has launched the Digital Economy Survey, a strategic initiative designed to strengthen the measurement of digital economic activity and provide a clearer picture of how technology, artificial intelligence and digital business models are contributing to Abu Dhabi’s economy.
Statistics Centre - Abu Dhabi (SCAD) has launched the Digital Economy Survey, a strategic initiative designed to strengthen the measurement of digital economic activity and provide a clearer picture of how technology, artificial intelligence and digital business models are contributing to Abu Dhabi’s economy.
As the emirate’s economy evolves, economic value is increasingly being created through digital platforms, AI-enabled services, cloud technologies, fintech, e-commerce and data-driven business models. The survey will strengthen the statistical evidence available to identify these activities, measure their economic contribution and track their development over time.
The survey will engage businesses across key areas of the digital economy, including e-commerce and digital platforms, financial technology and digital financial services, software and cloud services, transport and delivery platforms, data services and digital infrastructure.
It will collect data on areas such as digital revenues, the use of emerging technologies and the role of digital business models in economic activity, helping establish a statistical baseline for monitoring the evolution of Abu Dhabi’s digital economy.
H.E. Abdulla Gharib Alqemzi, Director General of Statistics Centre – Abu Dhabi, said: “This initiative forms part of SCAD’s broader modernization of Abu Dhabi’s economic measurement framework and complements the comprehensive revision of the emirate’s gross domestic product time series announced in May 2026. The survey will provide data to capture digital economic activities and their contribution to Abu Dhabi’s economy more fully, helping official statistics reflect changes in the structure of the economy and meet the needs of decision makers.”
The Digital Economy Survey also supports the objectives of the UAE Digital Economy Strategy, which aims to increase the digital economy’s contribution to national GDP from 9.7% in 2022 to 19.4% within ten years.
The findings will complement Abu Dhabi’s existing official economic statistics and provide a stronger evidence base to support economic diversification, competitiveness, investment and sustainable growth.
