UAE industrial investment attracts $33bn through 251 foreign manufacturing projects, minister says
UAE industrial investment drew 251 foreign manufacturing projects worth $33 billion between 2015 and 2024, creating over 38,000 jobs and reinforcing the country’s push to reach an AED 300 billion industrial GDP by 2031.
The Ministry of Investment announced that the UAE secured 251 foreign direct investment projects in the manufacturing sector from 2015 to 2024, with total capital commitments of approximately $33 billion and more than 38,000 jobs created. The minister said this performance underlines growing investor confidence in the UAE industrial investment environment and its competitiveness in global value chains.
FDI in Manufacturing: 2015–2024 Figures
The ministry’s figures show manufacturing has become a major magnet for foreign capital, representing about 7 percent of the UAE’s total FDI stock and ranking as the fifth-largest sector for inflows. Between 2015 and 2024, the 251 projects recorded significant capital deployment and workforce additions that support the sector’s shift towards higher-value and technology-driven production.
Manufacturing’s share of inward investment reflects targeted policy support and the sector’s rising role in the national economy, where advanced manufacturing and exports are central to the Strategy National Investment 2031 goals. Officials say these investments are foundational to the UAE’s plans to diversify output and embed more sophisticated production capabilities nationwide.
Leading Source Markets and Regional Profile
The United States led as the largest source market for industrial FDI, accounting for 22.6 percent of the projects recorded in the period, followed by the United Kingdom at 10.1 percent. India, Germany and China also ranked among the top investor countries, while Western Europe collectively supplied nearly 38 percent of manufacturing projects, highlighting broad appeal across advanced and emerging markets.
This geographic mix underscores the UAE’s ability to attract capital from diverse jurisdictions and to position itself as a regional manufacturing hub that bridges markets across Europe, Asia and the Americas. Investors cited market access, logistics links and regulatory certainty as key attractions when choosing the UAE as a manufacturing base.
Project 300 Billion: Industrial GDP Target to 2031
The government’s “Project 300 Billion” aims to raise the industrial sector’s contribution to GDP to AED 300 billion by 2031, framing industrial expansion as a strategic national priority. The target is intended to accelerate the transition to advanced manufacturing, scale high-value production and boost the sector’s share of exports and employment.
Officials say the AED 300 billion objective will be supported by tailored incentives, public-private partnerships and programs that pull through investment into priority sub-sectors such as advanced materials, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals and clean energy manufacturing. The initiative is positioned as a long-term driver of competitiveness and economic resilience.
White Paper Released at Make in UAE 2026
At the Make in UAE 2026 forum, the Ministry of Investment and the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology unveiled a white paper analysing the transformation of the UAE industrial landscape. The document provides a strategic roadmap for investors, detailing ecosystem strengths, policy targets and priority areas for collaboration between government and industry.
The white paper is designed to give international investors a comprehensive analytical view of the UAE’s manufacturing proposition, including insights on supply-chain integration, cluster formation and technology adoption. Authorities intend the publication to reduce information gaps and speed up decision-making by highlighting concrete opportunities and enabling conditions.
Atlas Platform: Digital Map and Investor Tools
The newly launched Atlas platform offers investors an interactive, data-driven view of the UAE investment scene, with mapping and filtering tools that allow searches by country of origin, project type and free zone location. Atlas also enables generation of customised reports by sector or nation, helping investors identify high-potential clusters and emerging trends across the emirates.
Built with user-friendly analytics, the platform is positioned as a single access point to simplify project discovery and due diligence, enabling faster opportunity assessment and more informed capital allocation. Officials emphasised that Atlas is part of a broader push to use digital tools to raise transparency and reduce the time required for investment decisions.
Incentives, Logistics and Talent Programmes
The UAE offers a comprehensive incentive package for industrial investors that includes 100 percent foreign ownership in most industrial activities, a competitive tax framework and streamlined licensing and company setup procedures. More than 40 specialised free zones provide customs exemptions and full repatriation of profits, adding to the attractiveness of manufacturing investment.
Logistics infrastructure was highlighted as a core advantage, with 12 commercial seaports and an airport network connecting more than 250 international destinations, placing around two-thirds of the world within an eight-hour flight. Complementary talent and residency measures such as the Golden and Green Visas, together with the Technology Transformation Programme targeting 1,000 advanced tech projects by 2031, aim to mobilise skilled professionals and spur AED 110 billion in projected GDP impact and AED 15 billion in annual tech exports.
The ministry said these combined measures are intended to accelerate the next phase of industrial growth and to anchor higher-value manufacturing in the UAE. Investors will likely monitor deployment of Project 300 Billion initiatives, uptake of Atlas tools and the pace of private sector partnerships as indicators of the country’s readiness to host complex, export-oriented manufacturing ventures.
