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Arabian Business reported on February 11, 2026 that the UAE has strengthened its position as a global financial gateway through sustained growth in investment inflows and financial centre expansion. The publication detailed how foreign direct investment doubled to $40 billion across the 2019 to 2024 period. DIFC assets under management climbed to $700 billion during the same timeframe, reflecting increased activity from international firms establishing regional operations in the emirate.
According to the UAE Foreign Direct Investment Report 2025 issued by the Ministry of Investment, inflows surged 48.7 percent in 2024 to reach $45.6 billion compared with $30.7 billion the prior year. UNCTAD’s World Investment Report 2024 placed the UAE among the top global destinations, with inflows rising from $22.7 billion in 2022 to $30.7 billion in 2023. The Ministry of Economy and Tourism maintains a public FDI dashboard that tracks these inflows alongside outward investment and sector breakdowns.
DIFC official figures show assets under management jumped 58 percent from $444 billion to the $700 billion mark, with more than 10,000 funds now managed or marketed from the centre. The financial free zone added 820 new companies in the first half of 2024 alone, according to a DIFC performance update released in July 2024. Hedge funds and wealth management entities accounted for a substantial share of the expansion as US firms extended their Middle East footprint through DIFC registrations.
A March 2025 National Investment Strategy approved by the UAE Federal Cabinet aims to more than double annual FDI to $65.3 billion by 2031, the US Department of State noted in its 2025 Investment Climate Statement. The strategy targets priority sectors that include advanced technology, renewable energy, logistics and financial services. Kuwait’s civil defence authority put the death toll at 49 workers in a separate incident, but that is unrelated to investment flows.
OECD analysis of investment policy in the UAE highlighted renewable energy, transport, ICT and financial services as national priorities for attracting further FDI. The organisation’s report observed that free zones permitting full foreign ownership continue to capture the majority of inflows. Dubai retained its ranking as the world’s leading city for greenfield FDI project announcements in the first half of 2024, securing 508 projects according to fDi Intelligence data.
The UAE ranked first globally in the Greenfield FDI Performance Index 2025 compiled by fDi Intelligence, outperforming its economy size relative to 105 other countries assessed. This performance builds on earlier gains that saw the country place second worldwide for greenfield project announcements in 2023. Officials continue to refine licensing and ownership rules to support the inbound investment momentum recorded through 2025.
