The total trade in rough diamonds in Dubai hit 2.24 billion U.S. dollars in the first half of 2007, up 17 percent over the same period in 2006, Emirates News Agency reported on Sunday.

According to statistics by the Dubai Diamond Exchange (DDE), rough diamond imports into Dubai reached 937 million dollars in the first six months of 2007, up 26 percent over the previous year, the report said.

In the same period, exports of rough diamond from Dubai worth more than 1.3 billion, an increase of 12 percent. In terms of carat value, a total of 43.6 million carats were traded in the first half of 2007, growing 9.55 percent compared with 39.8 million in the same period in 2006.

"The local rough diamond market has continued to witness significant growth," DDE's deputy chairman Ahmed bin Sulayem was quoted as saying.

"We are also witnessing a considerable growth in direct imports from leading mining countries like Russia and Angola, which clearly point to Dubai's rapid emergence as a global center for the trade in rough diamonds," he added.