The UAE attracted AED 177.3 billion in foreign direct investment in 2025, up 6%, marking a fourth consecutive annual record and ranking the country ninth globally among FDI destinations, according to the World Investment Report 2026 from UNCTAD, the UN trade and development body. Cumulative FDI stock reached AED 1.171 trillion by the end of 2025, while the UAE remained the world’s second-largest destination for new greenfield FDI projects for a third straight year, with 1,562 projects and 38% of Middle East greenfield project capital expenditure. Ahead of the 15th AIM Congress in Dubai on 7 to 9 September 2026, AIM Global Foundation also stepped up outreach to India through Chairman Dawood Al Shezawi’s 5 to 8 August Mumbai visit, as UAE-India trade reached US$100.06 billion in the 2024-25 financial year and both countries aim for US$200 billion by 2032.