UAE Strengthens Global Leadership in Entrepreneurship for Fifth Consecutive Year

UAE Ranks First in Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Report

Abu Dhabi: The United Arab Emirates has reaffirmed its status as a global leader in entrepreneurship, achieving the top rank worldwide for the fifth consecutive year in the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2025/2026 report. This accomplishment highlights the UAE’s ability to surpass several advanced economies, solidifying its reputation as the premier destination for launching and operating new businesses.

Key Indicators of Success

The UAE excelled among high-income economies in eight critical indicators outlined in the report. These include:

• Physical infrastructure
• Government policies regarding support and relevance
• Taxation and bureaucratic processes
• Government entrepreneurship programs
• Research and development transfer
• Market entry dynamics
• Regulatory burdens
• Entrepreneurship education

These factors collectively illustrate the robustness and integration of the UAE’s entrepreneurship ecosystem, showcasing an environment conducive to startups and new ventures.

Financial Accessibility and Support

In addition to its overall ranking, the UAE secured the second position globally for access to entrepreneurial finance and the ease of securing funding. This underscores the strength of the country’s financial system and its commitment to nurturing startups and facilitating their growth.

The UAE is one of only four nations that have met or exceeded the “adequacy” level across all criteria of the GEM Entrepreneurship Framework. This achievement reflects a supportive entrepreneurial environment bolstered by strong infrastructure, favorable government policies, and digital readiness.

Commitment to Entrepreneurship

Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, emphasized that the UAE’s leading global ranking is a testament to the leadership’s unwavering commitment to entrepreneurship and support for small and medium enterprises. He attributed this success to forward-looking policies that have established the UAE as the most supportive economy for entrepreneurship, characterized by a flexible and resilient economic model capable of adapting to global and regional shifts.

Al Marri noted that the results validate the effectiveness of the UAE’s competitive policies and legislation, further enhanced by initiatives such as the national campaign “The UAE: Capital of the World’s Entrepreneurs.” This initiative aims to position the UAE as the leading global hub for talent, innovators, and entrepreneurs.

Alignment with National Vision

The findings align with the “We the UAE 2031” vision, which aims to bolster the UAE’s status as a global hub for the new economy. This vision focuses on supporting high-growth sectors, including technology, artificial intelligence, renewable energy, space, and financial technology.

The GEM report indicated that the UAE achieved a score of 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.

Emphasis on Innovation and Sustainability

The report also highlighted that the UAE is among only six countries where entrepreneurs unanimously regard artificial intelligence as critically important over the next three years, indicating readiness for a knowledge-based digital economy. In terms of sustainability and awareness of artificial intelligence, the UAE, alongside Taiwan, Norway, and Sweden, received an “excellent” rating in both indices, showcasing the integration of innovation and sustainability in its business environment.

Global Market Access

The UAE ranked among the top five countries globally for international market access, demonstrating the capability of its startups to reach overseas markets. This success is driven by advanced logistical and infrastructure networks that connect local entrepreneurs with global consumers.

Entrepreneurial activity remains robust, with over one in five adults starting new businesses. Early-stage entrepreneurial activity reached 19.2%, supported by streamlined procedures and strong government and financial backing.

Demographic Participation in Entrepreneurship

The UAE also recorded significant participation across various demographics, with entrepreneurial activity at 19.6% among citizens and 22.4% among residents. This highlights the country’s ability to attract talent and broaden participation, including strong support for women entrepreneurs.

The report further acknowledged the influence of family traditions in motivating entrepreneurship and ranked the UAE among the top five countries for entrepreneurship education at the school level. This education emphasizes creative thinking, problem-solving, risk assessment, and opportunity recognition.

Conclusion

The GEM report confirms that the UAE has established a flexible, well-financed, and innovation-driven entrepreneurship ecosystem. This environment enables ideas to evolve into scalable, sustainable businesses, reinforcing the country’s global leadership in entrepreneurship.

As reported by www.emirates247.com.

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Published on 2026-04-26 13:12:00 • By FAME Delivered News Desk