India remained the largest source of greenfield foreign direct investment (FDI) projects into Dubai in 2025, with Indian companies accounting for nearly one in five projects announced in the emirate during the year.
According to the latest fDi Markets data published by the Financial Times, Indian investors announced 241 greenfield FDI projects in Dubai in 2025, representing 19 per cent of the emirate's record total of 1,253 projects. The investments were worth a combined $1.65 billion, while the number of Indian projects rose 11.6 per cent compared with 2024.
Business services attracted the highest number of Indian projects (74), followed by software and IT services (65), real estate (19), financial services (14), and transportation and warehousing (10).
Resilience amidst chaos
The figures came as Dubai retained its position as the world's leading destination for greenfield FDI projects for the fifth consecutive year. The emirate attracted 1,253 projects in 2025, up 10.5 per cent from the previous year, capturing a record 7 per cent share of global greenfield FDI projects.
Dubai also retained the top global ranking for headquarters-related greenfield FDI projects for the fourth consecutive year and maintained its leadership in artificial intelligence-related investments. It also secured the No. 1 global position in manufacturing-related greenfield FDI projects for the first time, marking a milestone in the emirate's economic diversification strategy.
Overall, Dubai attracted $8.83 billion (AED 32.43 billion) in greenfield FDI capital in 2025, with the investments expected to generate 38,918 jobs—an 18.8 per cent increase over the previous year. The emirate's economy expanded by 5.4 per cent during the year, taking GDP to AED 937 billion.
Diversification drive
Beyond AI and manufacturing, Dubai strengthened its global standing across several strategic sectors, including ICT and electronics, creative industries, professional services, life sciences, consumer goods, financial services, industrial equipment and environmental technology. It also recorded strong gains in food and beverages, electronic components, healthcare, business machinery and equipment, clean technology, metals and e-commerce.
"While global markets may have navigated significant challenges in recent months, Dubai entered this period with quantifiable momentum, attracting record levels of capital that provided a strong foundation for sustained growth. This is a clear reflection of the trust that investors and multinational corporations place in our future-ready ecosystem," said Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET).
"This performance underscores the strength of Dubai's diversified economy, the depth of its public-private partnerships, and the efficacy of a well-defined forward-looking regulatory framework that continues to attract high-quality investment across priority sectors. These results further reinforce the ambitions of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, highlighting Dubai's position as one of the world's most resilient investment destinations," he said.
Hadi Badri, CEO of the Dubai Economic Development Corporation (DEDC), the economic development arm of DET, said the scale and quality of FDI inflows reflected sustained global confidence in Dubai's long-term growth trajectory.
"The continued inflow of capital investment is further evidence that investors are deepening their operational presence rather than adopting short-term positioning strategies. From headquarters and high-value manufacturing to AI, fintech, logistics and creative industries, the diversity and quality of investment flows demonstrate Dubai's ability to anticipate structural shifts in the global economy,” he said.
Badri added that the investors recognise Dubai's capability to offer a unique combination of agile regulation, world-class digital infrastructure and access to top-tier global talent. “As we continue to advance the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, deal activity and expansion momentum remain strong, reinforcing our outlook for accelerating growth in 2026 and beyond," he said.
