The United Arab Emirates drew AED 167.6 billion in foreign direct investment in 2024, climbing to tenth position globally, according to the UN Conference on Trade and Development’s World Investment Report 2025. This 48.7 percent surge from 2023 cements the UAE as a top-tier destination for international capital, with greenfield projects playing a central role.
Foreign investors backed 1,369 new greenfield ventures worth AED 53.3 billion, placing the UAE second globally in announced projects, trailing only the United States. Remarkably, nearly 37 percent of total FDI into the Middle East went to the UAE.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum described the achievement as “an international vote of confidence in the UAE’s economy”, adding that AED 37 of every AED 100 invested in the region now enters the UAE. He attributed the growth to a unified national development agenda under President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, underpinned by strategic policy clarity and government cohesion.
The UAE’s cumulative FDI stock has reached AED 994.9 billion, reflecting a compound annual growth rate of 10.5 percent since 2015. This growth trajectory builds on a decade-long expansion, with inflows growing from AED 31.6 billion in 2015 to AED 167.6 billion in 2024.
A diverse range of sectors attracted foreign capital. Software and IT services projects led greenfield values with 11.5 percent, followed by business services, renewable energy, oil and gas, and real estate. Energy-specific inflows to renewable initiatives reached AED 4.8 billion, helping drive a national target to triple clean-energy capacity by 2030.
The Ministry of Investment, established in 2023 with Mohamed Hassan Al Suwaidi as minister, was credited with orchestrating this outcome through regulatory reforms and global outreach. Under its stewardship, clear legislation and incentives—including full foreign-ownership rights, a standard corporate tax of 9 percent, and streamlined licensing—have enhanced the investment environment.
Global rankings reflect these advances: the UAE placed fifth in the 2024 Global Talent Competitiveness Index and third in the 2024 Stanford AI Index for AI talent attraction. The nation has also forged 21 Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements and 120 bilateral investment treaties, further easing entry for international investors.
National strategy for the next decade envisions doubling cumulative FDI to AED 1.3 trillion by 2031, aligned with the National Investment Strategy 2031 which prioritises sustainable growth through sector diversification. Initiatives focus on attracting innovation and green investments while scaling existing operations.
Despite a global slowdown in productive FDI—with global flows down 11 percent adjusted for conduit economies—the UAE has charted a positive 2.8 percent rise in greenfield projects, underscoring its resilience.
Legal insight from White & Case points to ongoing sector-specific reforms that will deepen the FDI ecosystem, including possible relaxation of onshore investment restrictions and expansion of free zone offerings.
