Greenfield foreign direct investment into the UAE climbed 78 per cent year on year to an all-time high of USD 33.2B in 2025, highlighting the country’s strengthening position as a preferred global investment hub, according to Emirates NBD Research.
The UAE placed 10th worldwide for greenfield FDI capital inflows and ranked second globally by the number of announced projects. A total of 1,491 projects were recorded during the year, marking a 10.7 per cent rise compared to 2024. This growth points to sustained international investor confidence, underpinned by sizeable commitments to manufacturing, digital infrastructure and energy transition initiatives.
India became the largest source of greenfield FDI capital into the UAE in 2025, contributing USD 12.58B across 275 projects. This was largely driven by a landmark USD 10B smart manufacturing investment by Erisha E Mobility in Ras Al Khaimah. The United States followed closely, with USD 10.3B invested across 219 projects, led by Microsoft’s data centre expansion and the Stargate AI campus in Abu Dhabi.
The United Kingdom led in terms of project numbers, announcing 291 projects, although total investment reached a comparatively lower USD 1.16B, reflecting smaller-scale activities in services and technology. Other notable investor countries included China (USD 1.27B), France (USD 1.17B), Kuwait (USD 962.8M), Hong Kong (USD 777.8M) and Germany (USD 702.7M).
Dubai continued to dominate as the main destination by project volume, securing 1,202 projects, accounting for 81 per cent of the total. Capital inflows into the emirate reached USD 8.45B, positioning Dubai as the world’s second-largest city recipient of greenfield FDI projects. Ras Al Khaimah, meanwhile, attracted the highest capital inflows, drawing USD 10.61B across 17 projects and ranking sixth globally for greenfield FDI capital in 2025.
Abu Dhabi recorded 180 projects valued at USD 5.19B, supported by investments in artificial intelligence, cloud computing and advanced manufacturing. Sharjah attracted 46 projects worth USD 1.8B, underscoring ongoing diversification across industrial and services-led sectors.
