Dubai has set a global record by attracting the most Greenfield foreign direct investment (FDI) projects in a single half-year since 2003. In the first half of 2025, the emirate secured 643 Greenfield FDI projects. This is 478 more than the second-placed city and marks the highest number ever recorded worldwide in a half-year period.
The achievement underlines Dubai’s growing role as a hub for international investment. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, highlighted that this success aligns with the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33, which targets doubling the emirate’s economy by 2033.
Strategic Location and Investment Appeal
Dubai’s location at the crossroads of Asia, Europe, and Africa makes it ideal for global business. The city has built a strong investment ecosystem with clear regulations, modern infrastructure, digital-first services, and excellent global connectivity. This attracts companies looking for a safe and forward-looking destination.
In the first half of 2025, Dubai ranked second globally for total Greenfield FDI capital, up from fourth in 2024. It also moved to third place globally for jobs created through inward FDI, an increase from fourth place last year. In both measures, Dubai remains the number one city in the Middle East. These results show the growing appeal of Dubai foreign investment across sectors.
Growth in Headquarters and Emerging Sectors
Dubai is also a preferred base for headquarters of multinational firms. The city secured the global top spot for HQ FDI projects, rising 60% from 20 projects in H1 2024 to 32 in H1 2025.
The emirate leads in key sectors such as ICT and electronics, creative industries, professional services, life sciences, consumer goods, financial services, transportation, and environmental technology. Dubai is also a leader in emerging fields like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Financial Technology (FinTech).
With a global market share of 8% and 56% of the Middle East’s Greenfield FDI projects, Dubai has established itself as a major international investment hub. This highlights the continuing growth of Dubai foreign investment globally.
Capital and Job Growth
The Dubai FDI Monitor shows the emirate attracted Dh40.4 billion ($11 billion) in estimated FDI capital in H1 2025. This is a 62% increase from Dh24.7 billion ($6.8 billion) in H1 2024. The number of FDI projects rose 28.7%, from 847 to 1,090. Jobs created through inward FDI increased 46.7%, reaching 38,433 positions.
Investment was diverse. Greenfield projects accounted for 52.4% of inflows, while new forms of investment made up 36.1%. Other contributions came from reinvestments (4%), venture capital (4.3%), and mergers and acquisitions (3.2%). Sectors included business services, consumer products, food and beverages, software and IT services, financial services, real estate, tourism, and transport.
Sector and Function Distribution
Business services led in capital inflows with 31.3%, followed by construction (28.6%), retail (10.7%), logistics and transportation (7.8%), and manufacturing (7.5%). In project numbers, retail dominated with 36.6%, then business services (30.7%), sales and support (21.3%), headquarters (2.9%), and logistics (2.4%).
This spread shows investor confidence in Dubai’s ability to support diverse operations, from headquarters to logistics, manufacturing to retail.
Leading Source Markets
The top five countries contributed 68.7% of total FDI capital in H1 2025. The United States led with 35%, followed by the UK (10.6%), France (8.9%), India (8.9%), and Saudi Arabia (5.2%). For project numbers, the top five countries contributed 56%, led by the UK (16.2%), US (14.9%), India (14.9%), France (5.4%), and Italy (4.6%).
Top Sectors by Capital and Projects
The top five sectors accounted for 72% of total capital and 69% of total projects. Leading sectors by capital were business services (30.6%), hotels and tourism (21.3%), transportation and warehousing (7.2%), consumer products (6.6%), and real estate (6.3%). By project numbers, top sectors were business services (19%), consumer products (16.5%), food and beverages (15%), software and IT (11%), and financial services (6.6%).
Dubai’s first-half performance in 2025 shows record-breaking Greenfield FDI, capital growth, job creation, and sector diversity. The city continues to stand as a global leader in Dubai foreign investment.
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