General Information

The UAE Government has placed attracting FDI at the top of its priority list, focusing its efforts on improving the ease of doing business, incentivizing economic diversification, and investing in logistics infrastructure. These efforts have already resulted in substantial FDI inflows, with the UAE ranked first regionally in attracting FDI, according to the UN World Investment Report 2021. The UAE Government’s forward-looking agenda aims to reinforce this upward trajectory, as outlined in Vision 2021 and the Centennial Plan 2071, which has already positioned the UAE as a world-leading trade and investment gateway.

With its strategic geographic location, the UAE is directly connected to more than 250 cities around the world, making it a major player in international trade, with its expanded networks of shipping lines reaching more than 400 cities. The UAE is home to 10 civil airports, 27 airline licenses, 105 cargo companies, 12 commercial ports with a capacity of cargo tonnage of 80 million. With two of the world's top 50 container ports are in the UAE, with Dubai featuring among the top ten, it is no surprise that 60 percent of cargo destined for GCC states arrives via the UAE's seaports. 

In addition to port and logistics infrastructure, the UAE boasts the most advanced digital infrastructure in the region, ranking first in the Arab world and eighth globally in the Online Services Index (OSI) by the UN E-Government Development Index (EGDI). The UAE was also ranked seventh globally in the Telecommunication Infrastructure Index (TII) in the same report. The pace of investment isn't slowing either, with the UAE ranked third globally for its investment in infrastructure projects and in infrastructure facilities, according to Site Selection Magazine’s Global Groundwork Index for 2020.