The floods that brought the United Arab Emirates to a standstill last month have taken a toll on the country’s non-oil economic growth, which slumped in April to its lowest level in eight months, new data showed Friday.
The floods of April 15–16 marked the UAE’s heaviest rainfall in 75 years, the period for which records have been kept, according to the National Center for Meteorology. The disaster left five people confirmed dead and the economy severely impacted.
The seasonally adjusted S&P Global UAE Purchasing Managers’ Index fell to 55.3 points in April, down from 56.9 the previous month. The last time it sank below the current level was August 2023, when it stood at 55 points.
Flooding particularly affected the emirates of Dubai and Sharjah. The S&P Dubai Purchasing Managers’ Index was at 55.1 points in April, down from 58.0 in March and at its lowest in eight months.
