UAE tops global entrepreneurship rankings for fifth straight year
Abu Dhabi — The UAE has retained its global leadership in the entrepreneurship ecosystem, despite economic challenges worldwide, securing the first position globally for five years in a row according to Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2025/2026 Report. In fact the UAE was ahead of a lot of advanced economies, which re-established its position as the best place in the world for starting and running new companies.
In eight key indicators, including physical infrastructure; government policies in terms of support and predicting where to fiddle; taxation and bureaucracy-related legislation; entrepreneurship programmes offered by the government. This indicates a well-rounded supportive consortia that nurtures entrepreneurship, startups and innovative ventures.
Entrepreneurial finance
The report established the UAE to be the second best in the world for entrepreneurial finance and access to funding, demonstrating that the emirate has a strong national financial ecosystem with capability to support entrepreneurs. It also underlines the willingness of the country to bolster start-ups and provide them with more options for growth and expansion.
The UAE notably is also one of only four countries in achieving or exceeding the “sufficiency” level across all framework conditions of the entrepreneurship index, reaffirming its status as a trailblazer among favourable entrepreneurial environments supported by robust infrastructure, forward-looking policy and strong digital readiness.
Visionary leadership
Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, commented: “We are proud this achievement comes as UAE ranked first around the world in developing its entrepreneurship ecosystem consolidating its position as one of the most supportive economies for Entrepreneurship, and as the best place for business and commercial activities.
One of the strategic goals recently introduced by the directives of our wise leadership is to place entrepreneurship and support for small and medium enterprises on top of national priorities, seeing them as an essential pillar in creating a competitive knowledge economy based on innovation. It also mirrors the flexibility and durability of the UAE economy to react to developments both regionally and globally.
He also said the results validated the robustness and cohesive nature of competitive policies and legislation in place to forge a business-friendly climate aided by initiatives like the national campaign "UAE: The Global Capital of Entrepreneurs," reinforcing UAE's aspirations to be a new home for talent, innovators and entrepreneurs around the world.
Alignment with the "We the UAE 2031"
According to Al Marri, the findings are in line with “We the UAE 2031”, which is aimed at placing the Emirates as a global centre for the new economy that drives growth-obsessed sectors such as technology, artificial intelligence, renewable energy and space and financial technology.
Strong global performance
With a score of 7 in the national entrepreneurship context Index (NECI) for 2025, the UAE recorded one of strong performance sets in terms of quality. The index evaluates national conditions for entrepreneurship through the views of experts, and indicates a boundless confidence among entrepreneurs and investors alike.
Towards a digital economy
The UAE is one of just six countries in which entrepreneurs perceive the development of artificial intelligence over the next three years as critically important actually indicating that it is poised to transition into a knowledge-driven digital economy, according to the report.
Sustainability and global access
The other two nations to receive an “Excellent” rating in sustainability priorities and AI, together with Taiwan, were Norway and Sweden, again mirroring the mix of innovation and sustainability that exists within UAE's business landscape.
Due to high level of infrastructure, logistic and access to global markets, the UAE was among the top five countries in terms of international access through start-ups.
More than 1 in 5 adults in the UAE are participating in starting new businesses, according to the report, and early-stage entrepreneurial activity reached 19.2%, showcasing effective support systems along with ease of doing business
Talent attraction and inclusion
National to register entrepreneurial activity was at 19.6% while resident figures stood at 22.4%, signalling the UAE's success in attracting talent and supporting mass participation
There was also good support for women entrepreneurs and a developing family habit of entrepreneurship.
Sustained by the increasing recognition of creativity and entrepreneurship education, especially on approaches to the teaching of problem-solving and opportunity-oriented skills, the UAE ranked in the top five globally.
Flexible financing environment
It also commended the flexibility of the UAE's innovative financing ecosystem, fueled by government support, investment funds and venture capital that transform ideas to scalable businesses for entrepreneurs.
The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor is among the kites of the world's biggest references on business action, with more than two million meetings since its initiation. The 2025/2026 edition comprises the 53 economies accounted for by more than 43% of the world population and about 57% of global GDP as well as extensive expert input for strong worldwide comparability.
Comments