DMCC, a free zone specializing in commodities in Dubai, has established a vertical for lab-grown diamonds. This new autonomous platform is created for an industry that increasingly relies on advanced technology and manufacturing, beyond the demand for jewelry.
This announcement came as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reached its highest volume of lab-grown diamond trade in history in 2025. A total of 76.9 million carats were traded this year, representing a 91.5% increase compared to the previous year, while trade value rose by 7.5% to reach $1.3 billion.
Trade volumes more than doubled since 2022, showing a 109% growth compared to 36.8 million carats. Meanwhile, imports and re-exports grew at approximately the same rate, indicating a stable increase in trade flows within the UAE, rather than growth concentrated in a single segment.
DMCC's decision to separate lab-grown diamonds into a dedicated vertical reflects the growing specificity of this sector's economy. It establishes a clear separation from DMCC's activities related to natural diamonds and colored stones, as lab-grown diamonds are characterized by scalable production, technical specifications, and industrial applications.
Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman and CEO of DMCC, stated that 'lab-grown diamonds have reached a point where they require specialized market infrastructure and a separate economic rationale that must develop parallel to, not instead of, the trade in natural diamonds.' He noted that for decades, China, India, and the United States have driven scientific, technological, and industrial development, transforming an experimental breakthrough into a global industry valued at nearly $30 billion.
He also emphasized that 'the most significant opportunity ahead may lie outside of jewelry, in semiconductors, diamond films, quantum technologies, medical devices, aerospace, and other advanced applications where the material's thermal, optical, and mechanical properties become commercially important.'
Additionally, he reported that given the turnover of 76.9 million carats of lab-grown diamonds through the UAE in 2025—more than double that of 2022—Dubai already possesses the necessary scale to form the next stage of the sector's development.
The DMCC lab-grown diamond vertical provides the industry with a dedicated global platform to expand international trade flows, bring together manufacturers, technology companies, and buyers, and create the transparent market infrastructure necessary for the sector's further development.
The modern lab-grown diamond industry is built upon three main markets whose combined capabilities have shaped its global development: China acts as the dominant center for industrial production and research; India is a powerful hub for CVD growth, production, and processing; and the USA is a pioneer in diamond growth technology and the largest consumer market in the industry. Japan, Israel, and the UK are also established centers for research, industrial applications, and trade.
Beyond jewelry, lab-grown diamonds are increasingly being developed for advanced industrial needs. Their thermal, optical, and semiconductor properties open up potential for use in semiconductors and diamond films, quantum technologies, space systems, and high-precision engineering.
This vertical will unite global and regional manufacturers, fabricators, traders, investors, financing providers, technology companies, and industrial users, while simultaneously strengthening Dubai's ties to the industry's major global markets. Crucially, it will maintain independence from DMCC's operations in natural diamonds and colored stones.
In 2025, the total diamond trade volume in the UAE reached a record $41.7 billion, accompanied by a sharp rise in the volumes of synthetic and industrial diamonds.