Reaffirming its position as the world’s top environment for startups and SMEs, the UAE outperformed 55 economies, leading in 11 of 13 key indicators among high-income countries.
The landmark ranking reflects the UAE’s robust and visionary entrepreneurial ecosystem, bolstered by a strategic investment of $8.7 billion to support innovation, business growth, and SME competitiveness under the nation’s “Projects of the 50” initiatives.
According to the GEM report, the UAE leads in areas such as:
Entrepreneurial financing and access to capital
Favourable tax and regulatory policies
Government-backed support programs
Integration of entrepreneurship in education
Ease of market entry and business infrastructure
The UAE also ranked first globally in the National Entrepreneurship Context Index (NECI), which assesses a country’s business environment based on expert evaluations of policy frameworks, infrastructure, and institutional support.
Alia Abdulla Al Mazrouei, Minister of State for Entrepreneurship, credited the success to the UAE’s forward-looking vision and how this milestone reflects their commitment to empowering startups, enhancing competitiveness, and building a globally leading entrepreneurial climate aligned with the UAE 2031 goals.
Al Mazrouei added that ongoing national initiatives aim to increase the entrepreneurial success rate from 30% to 50% by the next decade, with targeted support for innovation, digital integration, and global expansion.
The report also revealed a thriving entrepreneurial culture in the UAE:
67% of adults know an entrepreneur or believe they can start a business
70% see strong local opportunities for launching startups
75% of new entrepreneurs plan to expand teams over the next five years
80% aim to integrate digital technologies into their operations
78% prioritize social and environmental impact alongside profits
The UAE’s policy allowing 100% foreign ownership of companies has also helped drive record levels of foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2023, further enhancing investor confidence.
