The Department of Economic Development (DED), Dubai, has brought out two booklets that contain substantial statistics and analytical information on industry, trade and investment.

The first booklet entitled, “The impact of industry on basic economic indicators in Dubai,” provides an analytical overview of the industrial sector in Dubai and valuates its contribution to Dubai’s GDP during the eight-year period from 1995 through 2002. It also looks into the share of industry in investment as expressed in fixed capital formation and draws a comparative analysis of the contribution of industry in the GDP and its share in fixed capital formation.
The second booklet provides an overview of the services business in the light of the General Agreement for Trade in Services (GATS).  It also focuses on trade in services in the Arab world within the framework of the GATS agreement. The special characteristics of the trade in services in the Arab world are highlighted as well as the specific commitments made by various Arab countries.
“The booklets reiterate information in the recently launched United Nations World Investment Report (WIR) 2005, which ranked the UAE 104th in foreign direct investment (FDI) performance behind Bahrain  (27th) and Qatar (63rd) despite being placed among the top countries for potential FDI performance.
“The recently launched WIR 2005 clearly identifies the need for greater investment in the industrial infrastructure of a country by rationalising production activities and lowering production costs,” said Khalid Al Kassim, deputy director general for planning and development at DED.
The two booklets, published in Arabic, are among the first in a series of research studies currently underway at the DED’s Business Sector Development Division.