The UAE pulled in a record US$48.3 billion (AED 177.3 billion) in foreign direct investment last year, marking a fourth straight year of growth and cementing its place as the ninth largest FDI destination worldwide, according to the latest UNCTAD World Investment Report.
The 6% year-on-year rise pushed the country's total FDI stock to AED 1.17 trillion. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, called the figures proof of a national vision built on unified effort and global trust. He said the UAE aims to lift FDI stock to AED 2.2 trillion and draw AED 240 billion in annual inflows by 2031.
The UAE Foreign Direct Investment Report 2026, issued by the Ministry of Investment, credited the performance to a maturing investment ecosystem. Manufacturing, communications and real estate led the way, with communications boosted by Stargate UAE, OpenAI's first international deployment built with Abu Dhabi's G42.
Greenfield projects still dominate at nearly 45% of inflows, though mergers and acquisitions and reinvestment are gaining ground. The 1,562 greenfield projects announced in 2025 brought in US$34.1 billion in capital expenditure and created more than 65,000 jobs.
Minister of Investment Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi pointed to the changing composition of capital, not just its scale, as the defining feature of the year, with investment diversifying across sectors and geographies.
Globally, FDI rebounded to roughly US$1.6 trillion in 2025, but concentrated in fewer economies. The Middle East led that growth, with the UAE contributing 38% of the region's greenfield capital expenditure. In November 2025, the UAE Cabinet approved a National Investment Fund with initial capital of US$10 billion to further support the country's investment ambitions.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
