Today's Edition
DUBAI (WAM)
The UAE attracted $48.3 billion (Dh177.3 billion) in inbound foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2025, marking a fourth consecutive year of record inflows and a 6% increase year-on-year.
The country now ranks 9th globally among destinations for FDI, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) World Investment Report.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, stated: “According to the latest World Investment Report, the UAE continues to solidify its status as a global destination for investment and opportunities. In 2025, we attracted a record Dh177.3 billion in FDI inflows, recording a 6% growth, while FDI stock grew to Dh1.17 trillion.”
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid added: “The UAE ranked ninth globally among destinations for inbound FDI and maintained for the third consecutive year its second place globally by greenfield projects with a total of 1,562 projects.”
His Highness concluded: “Our goal is to increase FDI stock to Dh 2.2 by 2031 and attract an annual Dh240 billion of FDI inflows. These figures are not merely economic indicators, but the outcome of a national vision, the dedication of a unified team and the global trust placed in a nation that turns ambition into reality and opportunities into achievements. We pray that what lies ahead for the UAE is even greater."
Issued by the Ministry of Investment, the UAE Foreign Direct Investment Report 2026 records this sustained performance against a more selective global environment, in which international capital has grown increasingly discerning in its choices. The report frames this consistency as a reflection of the enduring confidence global investors place in the UAE's long-term vision, its policy choices, and the frameworks that underpin its investment environment, with results reflecting the targets of the National Investment Strategy 2031.
Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi, UAE Minister of Investment, said: “The UAE’s investment story continued to gather momentum in 2025. Over the past years, the UAE’s consistency in attracting record levels of FDI inflows – expanding at a compound annual growth rate of 24% between 2021 and 2025 - has reflected the strength of the choices we have made as a nation. What makes 2025 a distinctive year is not only the scale of inbound capital, but its composition. Investment continued to diversify across sectors, deepening in quality and broadening in geographic origin.
"We are committed to strengthening confidence in this trajectory by continuing to advance our policies and regulations, reducing barriers to entry, improving our operating environment, and expanding our global partnerships. Looking ahead, the National Investment Strategy sets a clear direction through 2031: to consolidate our position among the world's leading investment destinations, and to achieve $ 65 billion (Dh240 billion) in annual FDI inflows.”
The report points to a maturing investment ecosystem, with advanced economies featuring prominently among its top FDI origins – a signal of the strength of its regulatory frameworks and institutional robustness. The UAE has cultivated a wider set of geographies and bilateral relationships, reinforcing the resilience and durability of its investment position.
The report further emphasises a maturity equally visible in the forms investment now takes. While greenfield projects remain the dominant type of FDI entering the UAE, at close to 45%, mergers and acquisitions gained traction to represent 8%, and reinvestment stood at 11.2%.
The startup ecosystem matured in parallel: funding rounds grew larger, with the average deal size reaching $9.2 million – (Dh33.8 million) nearly double the prior level – as companies moved from getting started to scaling up.
Greenfield FDI reflected both volume and capital depth, with 1,562 projects announced for a combined $ 34.1 billion (Dh 125.2 billion) in capex, or 1.8% of the global total.
Three sectors led:
- manufacturing (30%), driven by landmark projects to develop the industrial base of this sector and attract future investments
- communications (29%), anchored by Stargate UAE – OpenAI’s first international deployment, a 1 GW AI compute cluster developed in Abu Dhabi with UAE-based G42, supported by sustained demand for digital infrastructure
- real estate (7%), propelled by wealth migration and the UAE's consolidation as a preferred domicile for global talent
This activity translated into tangible economic impact. In 2025, greenfield FDI generated more than 65,000 jobs across sectors as diverse as transportation and warehousing, business services, software and IT, automotive manufacturing, financial services, and communications – directly advancing the UAE's economic diversification.
The UAE sustained its FDI performance against a markedly more selective global backdrop. While global FDI returned to growth in 2025 after three years of decline, reaching approximately $1.6 trillion (Dh5.9 trillion), the recovery saw capital consolidate into fewer economies, fewer sectors, and fewer but larger commitments.
Regional performance diverged sharply: the Middle East, North America, and Western Europe drove growth while other regions contracted. The Middle East led globally with greenfield capex growth of 72.4%, with the UAE its primary driver, contributing 38% of regional greenfield capex.
The report notes that this resilience rests on fundamentals built over decades of deliberate policy choices, anchored by a long-term vision, forward-looking regulation, world-class infrastructure, global connectivity, and a deep talent base.
The report also quantifies the contribution of Domestic Direct Investment, estimated at $100 billion to $119 billion (Dh367 billion to Dh437 billion), or roughly 2.0 to 2.5 times annual FDI inflows.
Looking ahead, the National Investment Strategy 2031 provides a roadmap for the UAE’s future FDI ambitions, with annual inflow targets set along the way to 2031.
The Strategy sets clear objectives of raising annual FDI inflows to $65 billion (Dh240 billion), and achieving a total FDI stock of $600 billion (Dh2.2trillion).
Reinforcing the commitment, in November 2025, the UAE Cabinet approved the National Investment Fund, with an initial capital of $10 billion (Dh36.7 billion) to further support investment attraction.
The Ministry of Investment continues to lead this agenda by supporting investment in priority sectors, providing an agile and competitive environment for global capital, deepening bilateral investment ties, and acting as a trusted partner for international and local investors alike. It works in close collaboration with federal and local government entities, investment promotion agencies, the private sector, and international partners to develop forward-looking policies, strengthen the UAE's investment value proposition, and unlock new avenues for long-term economic growth.
