The UAE has been recognised among the top 35 countries with the largest global maritime fleets by weight and tonnage, according to the 2024 UNCTAD report.

In 2024, 10 Gulf container ports were ranked among the 70 most efficient ports worldwide, out of 405 evaluated globally. The Gulf commercial fleet accounted for 54.2% of the total Arab commercial fleet in 2023, reflecting the region's dominance in maritime trade. Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries also surpassed the Arab average in the maritime navigation network connectivity index, achieving a score of 100.5 last year.

With over 25 major seaports operating across the Gulf in 2024, two were classified as high-production ports, each handling over four million containers annually. Additionally, eight ports were categorized as medium-production, managing between 0.5 and four million containers per year.