12 Vol. 19/18, May 2018UPFRONT
MAY 06–12, 2018
Dubai’s appeal as a target for
foreign direct investment (FDI)
remains extremely solid. In 2016,
the emirate ranked seventh
among the leading cities of the
world, attracting AED25.5bn- and a total of AED270.8bn
between 2011 and 2015.
According to Sultan Bin Saeed
Al Mansoori, UAE Minister of
Economy, they’re the kind of
infl ows that have been at the
heart of Dubai’s diversifi cation
agenda – and underscore the
city’s economic strength.When it comes to FDI, what
are the latest fi gures?
“The FDI infl ow in to the UAE
reached $10.3bn (AED37.8bn)
in 2017, according to the UAE
Competitiveness and Statistics
Authority, up from $9.6bn
(AED35.23bn) recorded in 2016.
This takes the total FDI stock of
the country to $128.94bn in 2017.So, the UAE has consolidated its
position as a global destination
for business and fi nance.”How does that stack up
against the region?
“The UAE is leading the Arab
world in attracting FDIs. In 2016,
the UAE attracted 29 percent of
the total FDI infl ow in to the Arab
world. The UAE also topped the
Arab countries in terms of
attracting new foreignForeign direct investment
Why the UAE continues to benefi t from foreign capital
investment projects; from 2003
to 2016, the UAE attracted 4,
foreign investment projects out
of a total of 12,192 new
investment projects in Arab
countries during that period,
refl ecting the competitiveness
of the national economy.”Yet globally, FDI fl ows have
been on the decline...
“According to preliminary data
from the United Nations
Conference on Trade and
Development (UNCTAD), global
FDI fl ows are forecast to decline
by 16 percent in 2017, from $1.
trillion in 2016 to $1.52 trillion in- However, FDI infl ows to
developing economies is
expected to be about $653bn,
which will equate to an increase
of two percent over 2016.”
How signifi cant is the role
of FDIs in an economy like
the UAE?
“FDIs play a crucial role in
strengthening economic growth
and raising the effi ciency of
national economies. It helps
to indicate that the UAE is
constantly adopting the best
policies and economic trends to
keep pace with changes in the
nature and trends of foreign
investments. The UAE is working
to attract quality investments
that serve its development
objectives and achieve value-
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