Only America draws more new foreign projects than the UAE
Announced greenfield FDI projects by destination, top five economies, 2024.
- 1. Egypt is set to outgrow Japan in 2027, then Russia
- 2. In 2025, Suez Canal traffic was under half its record
- 3. Egypt exports more fresh oranges than any other country
- 4. Egypt is the world's biggest wheat buyer
- 5. Saudi Arabia has more desalination capacity than the entire US
- 6. Three in four UAE residents are international migrants
- 7. Only America draws more new foreign projects than the UAE
- 8. Algeria outspends all of sub-Saharan Africa on its military
- 9. Women in MENA now outpace men at university
- 10. Dubai's airport handles more international travellers than Heathrow
- 11. The UAE sold more goods abroad than France in 2025
- 12. Oil now makes less than a third of Saudi power
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 & method
| Greenfield projects announced | |
|---|---|
| United States | 2,460 |
| United Arab Emirates | 1,359 |
| United Kingdom | 1,193 |
| India | 1,080 |
| Germany | 887 |
Claim types Fact
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. Corrected 3 Nov 2026: title shortened to 10 words or fewer; no change to the data.
Published 3 Nov 2026
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