Dubai ranked number one in terms of Greenfield foreign direct investment (FDI) projects attracted in the first half of 2025, according to data published in the Financial Times Ltd’s ‘fDi Markets’ tracking database.
A Greenfield FDI project is when a company establishes a brand-new business operation in a foreign country from the ground up rather than acquiring or merging with an existing local firm.
The city attracted 643 Greenfield FDI projects in the first half of 2025, the highest number ever recorded for any city globally in a half-year period since fDi Markets began tracking the data in 2003, according to a press release issued by the Dubai government on Monday.
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H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, said: “The strength and resilience of Dubai’s economy continues to inspire confidence among global investors in its ability to reimagine the future and unlock emerging global technological trends and sustainable sectors.“
In H1 2025, Dubai advanced to second place globally for total Greenfield FDI capital, up from fourth in H1 2024, and rose to third place globally for jobs created through inward FDI, an improvement from fourth place last year. Across both these metrics, Dubai retained its position as the number one city in the Middle East.
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Dubai also secured the global top ranking for HQ FDI projects, with project numbers rising 60% from 20 in H1 2024 to 32 in H1 2025.
The city also ranked first globally across clusters including ICT and electronics, creative industries, professional services, life sciences, consumer goods, financial services, industrial equipment, transportation and warehousing, and environmental technology.
Helal Saeed Almarri, Director-General of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), said, “This performance showcases the city’s resilience, agility and capacity to keep pace with global economic transformations, strengthened by enduring public-private partnerships. It is also a reflection of the trust that international investors, multinational corporations and start-ups continue to place in Dubai.“
According to the Dubai FDI Monitor, published by DET, the emirate attracted AED40.4 billion ($11 billion) in estimated FDI capital in H1 2025, a 62% increase compared to AED24.7 billion in H1 2024.
The total number of announced FDI projects surged 28.7% from 847 in H1 2024 to 1,090 in H1 2025. Total estimated jobs created through inward FDI rose by 46.7%, from 26,202 in H1 2024 to 38,433 in H1 2025.
The city’s first-half performance was also marked by diversification in investment types and functions. Greenfield projects accounted for 52.4% of total inflows, complemented by new forms of investment (36.1%), reinvestments (4%), venture capital-backed projects (4.3%), and mergers and acquisitions (3.2%).
FDI was also widely distributed across business functions. Business services contributed 31.3% of capital inflows, followed by construction (28.6%), retail (10.7%), logistics, distribution and transportation (7.8%), and manufacturing (7.5%). From a project perspective, retail functions dominated with 36.6% of total announced FDI, followed by business services (30.7%), sales, marketing and support (21.3%), headquarters (2.9%), and logistics (2.4%).
Hadi Badri, CEO of the Dubai Economic Development Corporation (DEDC) noted that “the diversity and quality of investments, especially in AI, fintech and creative industries, show Dubai’s ability to anticipate global shifts and align with the sectors shaping the future economy.”
Dubai FDI Monitor data also showed that the top five source countries accounted for 68.7% of total estimated FDI capital flows into Dubai in H1 2025. The United States led with 35%, followed by the United Kingdom (10.6%), France (8.9%), India (8.9%), and Saudi Arabia (5.2%).
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