UAE attracted $45.7bn in 2024
Second globally for greenfield FDI
Aim to double amount by 2031
Foreign direct investment (FDI) into the UAE rose nearly 50 percent year on year in 2024, supported by a stable economy, trade openness and ease of doing business.
The UAE was ranked 10th globally for inbound FDI last year, totalling AED168 billion ($45.7 billion), according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s World Investment Report 2025.
“Out of every $100 invested in the region, $37 comes to the UAE,” state-run news agency Wam reported, quoting Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
“Our next goal is to attract AED1.3 trillion in foreign direct investment over the next six years.”
The UAE achieved 2.8 percent growth in greenfield FDI projects, compared to a global average of 0.8 percent, solidifying its position as a key destination for investment flows.
Total capital for announced greenfield FDI projects reached AED53 billion.
The UAE ranked second globally, after the US, in attracting greenfield FDI projects, with 1,369 new projects launched in 2024.
The energy sector attracted AED5 billion in greenfield FDI, advancing the UAE’s national goal to triple renewable energy production capacity by 2030, Alsuwaidi said.
The National Investment Strategy 2031 aims to double annual FDI inflows by 2031, targeting a cumulative FDI of AED2 trillion by 2031, as outlined in the national investment strategy.
The strategy focuses on priority sectors such as advanced manufacturing, renewable energy, financial services and information technology.
Earlier S&P Global said that the UAE is expected to maintain fiscal surpluses through 2028 despite lower oil prices and global economic headwinds.
The surplus is expected to average 3.2 percent of GDP between 2025 and 2028, based on assumed Brent oil prices at $60 per barrel in 2025 and $65 per barrel through 2028.
Last week the UAE posted a massive jump in non-oil exports in the first quarter of 2025, driven by economic stability and diversification efforts.
Non-oil exports rose 41 percent annually to AED177.3 billion.
