ABU DHABI (WAM)
Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi, Minister of Investment and Co-Chair of the Investopia Board of Trustees, said trust has become the real premium distinguishing one investment destination from another amid growing volatility in global capital flows.
On the sidelines of Investopia Bridge 2026, Alsuwaidi told WAM that trust is built on three elements: clear and stable policies, legislative frameworks that protect investors’ rights and respond to their needs, and a network of partnerships that provides reliable access to markets.
He said the UAE has translated these elements into tangible policies, guided by the strategic choices of its leadership, including allowing 100 percent foreign ownership of companies across most economic activities, concluding Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements and signing investment cooperation agreements.
Alsuwaidi said this trust is particularly evident among domestic investors, who are most familiar with the UAE’s business environment, with domestic direct investment estimated at between $100 billion and $119 billion in 2025, more than twice the level of inward foreign investment flows.
He reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to strengthening this trust by continuing to develop policies and regulations, reducing barriers to entry, improving the operating environment, and expanding global partnerships, further cementing the UAE’s position as a trusted partner for long-term capital.
On the UAE’s competitive advantages in attracting global investment, Alsuwaidi said the country brings together in one destination what investors typically seek across several markets: strategic location, advanced infrastructure, talent and policy stability.
He noted that two-thirds of the world’s population is within an eight-hour flight of the UAE, which has 12 commercial ports and an airport network connecting it to more than 250 international destinations.
The UAE also ranks third globally in the availability of skilled labour and first globally in the “Entrepreneurship policies and culture” indicator of the Global Innovation Index 2025.
On the Ministry’s support for global investors, Alsuwaidi said the investor journey in the UAE is an integrated pathway, with the Ministry serving as a trusted partner from establishment through operations and expansion.
He said the National Investment Fund, with an initial capital of Dh36.7 billion, provides financial incentive packages for high-impact investments, alongside efforts to unify procedures and economic activity codes across the seven emirates and update investment protection frameworks, reducing the cost of market entry, and shortening the time from investment decision to operation.
Regarding shifts in global investor priorities and requirements, Alsuwaidi said investors today seek certainty before returns, as competition among investment destinations intensifies and long-term capital moves towards economies that combine policy stability, speed of execution, and the availability of energy and talent.
He said the UAE anticipated this shift, with artificial intelligence and advanced technology among the priority sectors of the National Investment Strategy 2031.
The country is building an integrated ecosystem that encompasses computing infrastructure, scientific research and talent.
The UAE ranked first globally in the growth of AI talent concentration, according to Stanford University’s 2026 AI Index Report, while Microsoft has committed to investing $15.2 billion in the UAE between 2023 and 2029.
In infrastructure and sustainability, the UAE Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative provides investors with a clear long-term framework, while the expansion of clean energy provides an additional advantage for energy-intensive industries, particularly data centres, reinforcing the UAE’s position as a bridge between East and West and a launchpad for capital seeking certainty.
Alsuwaidi added that the Ministry monitors indicators that go beyond the value of investment flows, foremost among them job creation.
Greenfield investment projects announced in 2025 are expected to create more than 65,000 jobs, up 31.6 percent year-on-year and 2.5 times the 2021 level.
The growing share of research and development, regional headquarters and information technology jobs in total FDI-related employment is a direct indicator of knowledge and technology transfer.
He cited the partnership between Space42 and Finland’s ICEYE, which specialises in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites, as a practical example of this impact.
The partnership has moved beyond merely importing technology to include the assembly, integration and testing of SAR satellites in Abu Dhabi, with three satellites entering full operation in June 2026, enabling the UAE to build capabilities in these specialised sectors and develop world-class national talent and expertise.
On the practical outcomes targeted by the Ministry of Investment through its role in organising Investopia Bridge, Alsuwaidi said Investopia Bridge 2026 is being held under the theme “Investing in a More Resilient World”, reflecting the importance of trust and the ability to sustain growth and long-term investment amid the geopolitical and technological shifts and economic changes taking place globally.
He said the event embodies the UAE’s approach to building bridges, maintaining openness to global markets and expanding international partnerships, given their importance in strengthening economic resilience and consolidating the country’s position as a prominent investment partner globally.
On the latest figures reflecting the results of the Ministry of Investment’s efforts and its targets for the coming years, Alsuwaidi said the UAE has advanced seven places in the global ranking for foreign direct investment inflows since the Ministry of Investment was established in July 2023 and the National Investment Strategy 2031 was launched in November 2024, rising from 16th place in 2022 to ninth in 2025, according to the World Investment Reports issued by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
During the same period, inward FDI flows more than doubled from Dh84 billion to a record Dh177.3 billion, while the UAE moved from fourth to second globally in the number of greenfield investment projects, maintaining that position for three consecutive years.
In 2025 alone, the UAE attracted 1,562 new greenfield investment projects with capital expenditure of $34.1 billion.
Automotive manufacturing accounted for more than 30 percent of the total, followed by communications at 29 percent, driven by data centres and AI infrastructure.
The UAE’s FDI stock rose to $318.9 billion, equivalent to Dh1.17 trillion.