UAE ranks first globally for entrepreneurship for fifth consecutive year

Abu Dhabi: The United Arab Emirates has maintained its global leadership in entrepreneurship, ranking first worldwide for the fifth consecutive year in the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2025/2026 report, outperforming several advanced economies and reinforcing its position as the best place in the world to start and operate new businesses. The UAE ranked first among high‑income economies in eight key indicators in the report, including physical infrastructure; government policies in terms of support and relevance; government policies related to taxes and bureaucracy; government entrepreneurship programmes; research and development transfer; ease of market entry in terms of market dynamics; ease of market entry in terms of burdens and regulations; and entrepreneurship education. This reflects the depth and integration of the country’s entrepreneurship ecosystem and its advanced, supportive environment for startups and new ventures. The country also ranked second globally in both access to entrepreneurial finance and ease of obtaining funding, underscoring the strength of its financial system and its readiness to support startups and foster their growth and expansion. The UAE is among only four countries globally to have met or exceeded the “adequacy” level across all conditions of the GEM Entrepreneurship Framework, keeping its entrepreneurial environment among the best in the world, supported by strong infrastructure, government policies and digital readiness. Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, said the UAE’s top global ranking reflects the leadership’s strong commitment to entrepreneurship and support for small and medium enterprises. He described the achievement as a result of forward‑looking policies that have positioned the country as the most supportive economy for entrepreneurship and the leading destination for establishing businesses, driven by a flexible and resilient economic model capable of adapting to global and regional changes. He added that the results demonstrate the effectiveness of the UAE’s competitive policies and legislation, supported by initiatives such as the recently launched national campaign “The UAE: Capital of the World’s Entrepreneurs”, which aims to make the country the leading global hub for talent, innovators and entrepreneurs. Al Marri said the findings align with the goals of the “We the UAE 2031” vision, which seeks to strengthen the UAE’s position as a global hub for the new economy by supporting high‑growth sectors including technology, artificial intelligence, renewable energy, space and financial technology. The report showed that the UAE scored 7.0 points in the National Entrepreneurship Context Index (NECI) for 2025, reflecting the confidence of entrepreneurs and investors in the strength and integration of the country’s entrepreneurship ecosystem. It also noted that the UAE is one of only six countries where entrepreneurs unanimously consider artificial intelligence to be critically important over the next three years, highlighting readiness for a knowledge‑based digital economy. In sustainability and artificial intelligence awareness, the UAE, alongside Taiwan, Norway and Sweden, received an “excellent” rating in both indices, demonstrating the integration of innovation and sustainability in its business environment. The UAE ranked among the top five countries globally in international access, reflecting the ability of its startups to reach overseas markets, driven by advanced logistical and infrastructure networks that connect local entrepreneurs to global consumers. Entrepreneurial activity remains strong, with more than one in five adults starting new businesses, while early‑stage entrepreneurial activity reached 19.2%, supported by streamlined procedures and strong government and financial backing. The UAE also recorded high participation across demographics, with entrepreneurial activity at 19.6% among citizens and 22.4% among residents, highlighting its ability to attract talent and broaden participation, including strong support for women entrepreneurs. The report further noted the role of family traditions in motivating entrepreneurship and ranked the UAE among the top five countries for entrepreneurship education at school level, with a focus on creative thinking, problem‑solving, risk assessment and opportunity recognition. Overall, the GEM report confirms that the UAE has built a flexible, well‑financed and innovation‑driven entrepreneurship ecosystem, enabling ideas to be transformed into scalable, sustainable businesses and reinforcing the country’s global leadership in entrepreneurship.