Only the US draws more new foreign projects than the UAE
Announced greenfield FDI projects by destination, top five economies, 2024.
Announced greenfield projects in the UAE in 2024, second only to the United States (2,460).
The UAE's lead over the UK (1,193). India (1,080) and Germany (887) follow.
The UAE's 2025 count per its Ministry of Investment, still second worldwide for a third straight year.
the numbers
| Greenfield projects announced | |
|---|---|
| United States | 2,460 |
| United Arab Emirates | 1,359 |
| United Kingdom | 1,193 |
| India | 1,080 |
| Germany | 887 |
source notes & method
UNCTAD counts are based on fDi Markets (Financial Times). WIR 2026 (July 2026, 2025 data) country tables could not be accessed, so the chart uses WIR 2025. The 2025 figure (1,562 projects, ranked 2nd) is from the UAE Ministry of Investment's UAE FDI Report 2026 (fDi Markets data), not UNCTAD. Other UAE sources give 1,369–1,390 projects for 2024; UNCTAD's 1,359 used. Counts measure project announcements, not money invested.
Published 3 Nov 2026
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