• The UAE ranked tenth on this planet in 2024 as a result of FDI inflow.
• It attracted a report $45.6 billion, up 48% from the earlier yr.
• It led the MENA area with 37% of FDI inflow and ranked second on this planet for its new greenfield mission.

The United Arab Emirates ranked tenth worldwide as the highest vacation spot for international direct funding (FDI) final yr in 2024, attracting a record-breaking influx of 167.6 billion AEDs ($45.6 billion).

The determine represents a 48% improve from the earlier yr, in keeping with the 2025 World Funding Report, a newly launched by the United Nations Convention on Commerce and Improvement (UNCTAD).

His Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, welcomed his achievements as an “worldwide vote of belief” within the UAE economic system. He believed within the nation’s resilience and imaginative and prescient for the management of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates.

Vital findings from the UNCTAD report

The UNCTAD report reveals that the UAE is considerably outpacing world traits. The UAE accounts for 37% of all FDI inflow within the MENA area. It additionally ranked second on this planet after the US within the variety of newly introduced FDI initiatives in 2024 at 1,369 Greenfield Initiatives.

Development for the World Greenfield Mission slowed to 0.8%, however the UAE surged by 2.8%, reaching AED 53 billion ($14.5 billion) at Greenfield Capital.

“This achievement displays the strategic decisions made by our management and positions the UAE as the perfect funding vacation spot,” stated Funding Minister Mohamed Hassan Arswaidi.

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Expertise, power and companies drive the expansion of FDI

The important thing sectors supporting FDI surges are:

• Software program and IT Providers (11.5% of the introduced mission worth)
• Enterprise Providers (9.7%)
• Renewable Vitality (9.3%)
• Oil, fuel, coal (9%)
• Actual property (7.8%)

Within the power sector alone, it attracted AED 4.8 billion ($1.3 billion) in greenfield investments, per the nationwide goal to triple renewable power capability by 2030.

Lengthy-term imaginative and prescient: 1.3 trillion AEDs by 2030

As a part of the Nationwide Funding Technique 2031, the UAE goals to draw 1.3 trillion AEDs with FDI over the subsequent six years. The technique will goal 2.2 trillion AEDs in cumulative FDI by 2031, specializing in sustainability and innovation, together with superior manufacturing, digital economic system, inexperienced power and monetary companies.

The Ministry of Funding has performed a pivotal position by creating a versatile regulatory atmosphere. Streamlines the licensing course of and enhances investor safety. UAE’s investor-friendly insurance policies embrace:

• 100% international possession of mainland companies
• 9% company tax price
• Sturdy authorized frameworks equivalent to Dubai Worldwide Arbitration Centre
• Expertise sights, fifth on this planet for expert expertise, third within the AI ​​expertise

The United Arab Emirates additionally engraved 21 complete financial partnership agreements and 120 bilateral funding treaties to strengthen world ties.

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Digital Financial system and Innovation

Main initiatives equivalent to a $1.5 billion three way partnership between Microsoft and Abu Dhabi-based G42 have pushed AI and highlighted the nation’s willingness to remodel digitally.

These efforts place the UAE not solely as an FDI hub, however as a centre of technical management and innovation.