Federal budget
The UAE’s federal budget has grown significantly over the years, increasing from AED 200 million in 1972 to AED 71.5 billion in 2025 — a 358-fold rise. This growth reflects careful financial planning, efficient use of resources, and a strong balance between revenue and expenditure. Higher budget allocations have focused on developing infrastructure, improving the quality of education and healthcare services, and strengthening the performance of sectors that support both citizens and residents across the UAE.
Federal Budget Framework
The UAE government has gradually modernised its budgeting system. It moved from a Line Item Budget in 1972 to Programme and Performance-based Budgeting in 2001, linking spending to results. A three-year medium-term budget was introduced in 2008, followed by zero-based budgeting in 2011.
In 2014, the government adopted the international COFOG classification and an automated budgeting system. This supported the launch of a five-year zero-based budgeting framework for 2022–2026, improving efficiency, transparency and performance monitoring.
Read more about the UAE Federal Budget on Ministry of Finance website.
In 2014, the government adopted the international COFOG classification and an automated budgeting system. This supported the launch of a five-year zero-based budgeting framework for 2022–2026, improving efficiency, transparency and performance monitoring.
Read more about the UAE Federal Budget on Ministry of Finance website.
Federal budget
Federal budget 2025
The federal budget for the year 2025 totals AED 71.5 billion in revenues and AED 71.5 billion in estimated expenditures, maintaining a balanced approach between income and spending.
The 2025 budget is allocated across key sectors, including social development and pensions, government affairs, infrastructure and economic affairs, and financial investments, alongside other federal expenses.
The federal budget for 2025 is allocated as follows:
- AED 27.859 billion, representing 39 per cent of the total federal budget, has been dedicated to the social development and pensions sector. Of this amount,
- AED 10.914 billion (15.3 per cent) is allocated to public and higher education programmes
- AED 5.745 billion (8 per cent) is allocated to healthcare and community prevention services
- AED 3.744 billion (5.2 per cent) is allocated to social affairs
- AED 5.709 billion (8 per cent) is allocated to pensions, and
- AED 1.746 billion (2.5 per cent) is allocated to public services.
- AED 25.570 billion (35.7 per cent of the total budget) is allocated to the government affairs sector
- AED 2.581 billion, (3.6 per cent of the total budget) is allocated to the infrastructure and economic affairs sector
- AED 2.864 billion (4 per cent of the total budget) is allocated to the financial investments sector
- AED 12.624 billion (17.7 per cent of the total budget) is allocated for other federal expenditures.
This federal budget represents the largest in the UAE's history, underscoring the robustness of the national economy and the sustainability of resources to support key developmental, economic, and social projects. The approval of the 2025 budget is part of the multi-year financial plan (2022-2026).
Source: Ministry of Finance.
Read the news coverage on WAM.
Federal budget 2024
The federal budget for the year 2024 is AED 64.060 billion, 1.6 per cent more than the budget for the year 2023 (AED 63.066 billion).
The federal budget for 2024 is allocated as follows:
- AED 26.7 billion (42 per cent of the total general budget) towards social development and social benefits sector, distributed as follows:
- AED 10.2 billion (16 per cent of the total general budget) to public and university education programs
- AED 5.2 billion (8 per cent of the total general budget) to healthcare and community protection
- AED 3.6 billion (6 per cent of the total general budget) to social affairs
- AED 6.1 billion (10 per cent of the total general budget) to pensions
- AED 1.5 billion (2 per cent of the total general budget) to public services.
- AED 25.2 billion (39 per cent of the total general budget) allocated towards government affairs sector
- AED 2.6 billion (4 per cent of the total general budget) allocated towards infrastructure and economic resources
- AED 2.3 billion (4 per cent of the total general budget) allocated towards the financial investments sector, including AED 807.5 million allocated to federal investment projects
- AED 7.2 billion (11 per cent of the total general budget) allocated for other federal expenses.
Related links
- Mohammed bin Rashid approves Federal General Budget 2024-2026 of AED192 billion – WAM
- Federal general budget – Ministry of Finance
Read more
- Federal budget archive - Ministry of Finance.
- Federal budget distribution and expenditure in different sectors - U.ae
Updated on:
04 Mar 2026
