The UAE attracted USD 48.24 billion in foreign direct investment in 2025, a 6% increase year-on-year, securing its position as the ninth largest FDI recipient globally and the leading destination in the MENA and GCC regions, ahead of Saudi Arabia at thirteenth, according to UNCTAD's World Investment Report 2026.
The country ranked second worldwide in greenfield project count for the third consecutive year, securing funding for 1,562 projects aligned with its National Investment Strategy 2031, which targets USD 65 billion in annual FDI inflows. Greenfield investments accounted for approximately 45% of total inflows, while mergers and acquisitions made up 8%, and average start-up funding nearly doubled to USD 9.2 million. Manufacturing attracted 30% of investment inflows, with telecoms and digital infrastructure drawing 29%.
On the outbound side, the UAE deployed more than USD 63 billion globally in 2025, ranking among the top ten worldwide, though down from USD 77 billion the prior year amid broader geopolitical and macroeconomic headwinds that UNCTAD flagged as a risk to future capital-intensive investment.
Gulf Economist Staff Writer