Dubai Launches Lab-Grown Diamond Division as Trade Surges

The Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) has launched a lab-grown vertical, separating its infrastructure from that of natural as the synthetics segment reached a record high in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The dedicated lab-grown division in Dubai aims to support the industry’s rapid growth, which is receiving a boost from advanced manufacturing and technology, as well as jewelry and consumer demand, the DMCC said Sunday. The initiative follows the UAE’s announcement that it registered its highest-ever lab-grown diamond trade volume.

In 2025, the volume traded rose 92% to 76.9 million carats, with the value increasing 8% to $1.3 billion. Since 2022, volume has more than doubled, climbing 109% from 36.8 million carats. Imports and exports rose at a similar rate, reflecting sustained growth across the UAE’s overall trade flows rather than a shift in a single segment, the center added.

The DMCC’s decision to position lab-grown diamonds as a stand-alone sector reflects the distinct economics of the developing industry. The move separates it from DMCC’s natural-diamond and colored-stone activities, recognizing the sector’s focus on scalable production, technical specifications and industrial applications, it explained.

The new division will unite producers, manufacturers, traders, investors, financial institutions, technology companies and industrial users from the UAE and the international market.

“Lab-grown diamonds have reached the point where they need dedicated market infrastructure and a distinct economic case of their own, developed alongside the natural-diamond trade rather than in place of it,” said DMCC CEO Ahmed Bin Sulayem. “DMCC’s lab-grown diamond vertical gives the industry a dedicated global platform to expand international trade flows, bring producers, technology companies and buyers closer together, and build the transparent market infrastructure the sector needs for its continued development.”

Image: DMCC’s Almas Tower. (Dubai Multi Commodities Centre)

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