Dubai - Mubasher: Abu Dhabi’s trade of pearls and other gemstones rose to AED 4.5 billion during the first eight months of 2018, with a 7.1% year-on-year increase.

The UAE capital’s pearl and gemstone trade accounted for 57.6% of the total value of the emirate’s trade, according to the Abu Dhabi Statistics Centre (SCAD).

From January to August, Abu Dhabi’s imports of pearls and gemstones reached AED 3.7 billion, representing 4.8% of the emirate’s total non-oil imports worth AED 76.4 billion.

The figures showed that re-exports of pearls and gemstones amounted to AED 171 million during the first eight months of this year, accounting for 1% of the total volume of the emirate’s re-exports worth AED 16 billion.

Meanwhile, the value of exports of pearls and gemstones amounted to AED 637 million, contributing to 4% of the Gulf emirate’s total exports, the SCAD added.