UAE strengthens position as global hub for company formation, entrepreneurship

ABU DHABI: The United Arab Emirates continues to reinforce its position as one of the world’s most attractive destinations for company formation and entrepreneurship, driven by an advanced legislative and regulatory framework, sophisticated digital and logistics infrastructure, and flexible economic policies that have enhanced its ability to attract talent, investments and startups, enabling it to compete with the world’s largest and most advanced economies.

Specialists and company executives told the Emirates News Agency (WAM) that the UAE’s continued leadership in international indicators related to business formation and entrepreneurship reflects the success of its economic model in building an integrated ecosystem that combines all the requirements for success.

Diana Cichy, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of CICHE International Trade & Investment, specialising in international trade, said the UAE is among the world’s most attractive destinations for business and startups, thanks to its strategic location linking Europe, Asia and Africa, in addition to its advanced infrastructure and flexible regulatory environment that supports growth and international expansion.

Global hub for business and trade

She added that the country’s geographic location provides access to billions of consumers within a single flight range, while its expanding air connectivity network strengthens the UAE’s position as a global hub for business and trade.

She noted that free zones, full foreign ownership, ease of company establishment, and golden residency visas for investors, entrepreneurs and talented individuals have enhanced the country’s attractiveness for talent and investment.

Cichy affirmed that the UAE possesses a unique strength as a multicultural environment hosting around 200 nationalities, making it more than just a business hub and transforming it into an integrated platform for global connectivity.

She pointed out that the government’s direction towards transforming 50 percent of government services through artificial intelligence, alongside efforts to make the private sector more prepared in this field, reflects an ongoing forward-looking vision.

Destination for startups

For his part, Willem van Wyk, Managing Director of HDI Global's Dubai office, said the UAE has consolidated its position as an attractive destination for startups, entrepreneurs and innovation-driven companies thanks to its advanced regulatory frameworks, sophisticated digital infrastructure and continuous focus on innovation.

He added that this momentum has strengthened the UAE’s status as a leading fintech hub through a model that balances accelerated innovation with strong regulatory frameworks, supported by an advanced ecosystem led by entities such as the Central Bank of the UAE, Dubai International Financial Centre and Abu Dhabi Global Market.

Van Wyk explained that growth in the sector is no longer measured solely by new technologies or investment volumes, but by the ability of ecosystems to scale securely and sustainably, especially amid the rapid rise of embedded finance, artificial intelligence and open finance models.

He stressed that the UAE possesses the capabilities that qualify it to lead the growth of this sector and contribute to shaping the resilience of digital ecosystems globally.

Access to global markets

Meanwhile, Aaqib Gadit, Founding Partner at Disrupt.com, which specialises in building ventures and technology companies, said the UAE today represents one of the world’s leading hubs for launching startups into international markets thanks to a comprehensive business environment that combines advanced infrastructure, flexible policies, capital availability and access to global markets.

He added that the decision to establish operations in the UAE rather than global hubs such as San Francisco or London was based on clear practical foundations, noting that the country has successfully removed barriers related to the core pillars of company building, namely infrastructure, policies, capital and market access.

He pointed out that the UAE was among only four countries globally to achieve or exceed the required threshold across all conditions of the entrepreneurship ecosystem index.

Gadit affirmed that the UAE has provided startups with an enabling environment to transform ambitions into tangible international achievements by removing numerous barriers, particularly through allowing full foreign ownership in most sectors, offering tax exemptions for eligible small businesses, and ensuring free movement of capital.

International reports have shown that the UAE has succeeded in building a comprehensive business environment that supports the establishment of new ventures and accelerates their growth and global expansion.

Government institutions across all sectors, including ministries and departments, also support entrepreneurs and innovators through a range of initiatives aimed at promoting innovation and entrepreneurship.

Emirates Growth Fund

In this context, the Emirates Growth Fund was designed to enable Emirati companies to expand across four main sectors: manufacturing, food and agriculture, healthcare and advanced technology.

The Khalifa Fund also contributes to enhancing the capabilities of entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized enterprises through capacity-building, financing and services, facilitating communication between relevant entities and business owners, and promoting the culture of entrepreneurship.

Hub71 supports promising startups in accelerating their growth journeys by connecting them with investors and partners to facilitate investments and business deals, while offering a range of programmes and incentives that enable startups to grow across different stages of development.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Innovation Fund was also designed to support entrepreneurs and innovators in overcoming challenges by offering programmes tailored to meet the diverse needs of innovators.

Accelerating transformation of innovative ideas

At the end of April, Dubai Entrepreneurs Campus, the joint initiative between Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism and Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, announced the successful completion of the first phase of its business accelerator programmes, which contributed to presenting a new practical model that accelerates the transformation of innovative ideas into successful and implementable projects.

The UAE topped the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Report 2025-2026 for the fifth consecutive year, outperforming many advanced economies, and was ranked among the top five countries globally for the ability of its startups to access international markets.

In the same context, the StartupBlink Global Startup Ecosystem Index ranked the UAE among the top five global business environments and first regionally.