UAE attracts $45.6 billion in FDI in 2024, ranks in world's top 10
The UAE ranked among the world's top 10 destinations for foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2024, as inflows surged by nearly 49 per cent to reach $45.6 billion (Dh167.6 billion), up from $30.68 billion the previous year, according to a United Nations report.
The World Investment Report 2025, released on Thursday by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), revealed that the UAE climbed from 13th place in 2023 to 10th place in the latest global ranking.
The UAE accounted for a dominant 55.6 per cent of total FDI inflows into the Middle East, which received $82.08 billion in 2024 – an increase from $78.39 billion the previous year. Other major recipients in the region included Saudi Arabia ($15.73 billion), Türkiye ($10.59 billion), and Oman ($8.68 billion).
'A strong rebound of flows in the UAE helped lift sub-regional figures, even as flows to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council countries declined,' the UN report stated.
The UAE's outward FDI also saw moderate growth, rising by 4.8 per cent to reach $23.4 billion in 2024.
Globally, FDI rose marginally by four per cent to $1.51 trillion, up from $1.45 trillion in the previous year. However, UNCTAD noted that this figure was inflated by volatile flows through conduit economies. When adjusted for these factors, global FDI declined by 11 per cent – marking the second consecutive year of decline.
'Productive FDI fell by 11 per cent in 2024, continuing a downward trend,' warned UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan. 'This is not just a downturn – it's a pattern.'
Despite the overall decline, the United States remained the largest global recipient of FDI and led in both greenfield project announcements and international project finance (IPF) deals. Other top destinations included Brazil, Egypt, the UAE, Mexico, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
Greenfield investment activity was especially strong in India and the UAE, while IPF deals were concentrated in a few mature markets and large emerging economies, the report added.
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