• The UAE, as a federation, drew $48.3 billion in FDI in 2025, a fourth straight annual record, per UNCTAD data cited by the Dubai Media Office on July 8, 2026.
• The inflow lifted the UAE to 9th globally for FDI destinations, ahead of Saudi Arabia's 13th, as global FDI rose 6% to $1.6 trillion.
• The UAE held 2nd place worldwide for greenfield project count (1,562) for a third straight year, with $34.1 billion in announced capex.
• The UAE's National Investment Strategy targets $65 billion in annual inflows and $600 billion in FDI stock by 2031, backed by a new $10 billion National Investment Fund approved in November 2025.
• No primary source reviewed ties a specific dollar figure to BRICS-member flows; the 'BRICS investment gateway' label is Economy Middle East's own framing of the aggregate national FDI total.

The UAE attracted $48.3 billion (AED 177.3 billion) in foreign direct investment in 2025, a 6% year-on-year increase and the fourth consecutive annual record, according to UNCTAD's World Investment Report data cited in a July 8, 2026 Dubai Media Office statement from Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. This is a national, UAE-wide figure, not an emirate-specific one. UAE Minister of Investment Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi confirmed the total in the same release, which put the UAE's cumulative FDI stock at AED 1.17 trillion. This is markets journalism, not investment advice.

Where It Ranks

The inflow puts the UAE 9th worldwide for FDI destinations in 2025, ahead of Saudi Arabia's 13th place, as global FDI rose 6% to $1.6 trillion, per UNCTAD figures reported by The National on July 8, 2026. The UAE's climb reflects diversified inflows beyond hydrocarbons, the same reporting noted. The National also cited UAE outbound FDI of $63 billion in 2025, down from $77 billion in 2024 — a data point relevant to any 'gateway' claim about capital moving in both directions.

The BRICS Framing

Economy Middle East's report characterizes the UAE as a 'strategic supporter and key economic player' functioning as a BRICS investment gateway, citing the same $48.3 billion national inflow figure as evidence, though it offers no separate accounting of investment specifically tied to BRICS member states. Neither UNCTAD's data nor the Dubai Media Office statement attaches a dollar figure to BRICS-specific flows. The UAE has been a full BRICS member since January 1, 2024, per the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The 'gateway' label reflects Economy Middle East's own characterization, reported rather than confirmed by an official BRICS or UAE government metric.

Greenfield Book

The UAE held 2nd place globally for greenfield FDI projects for a third straight year in 2025, with 1,562 announced projects carrying $34.1 billion (AED 125.2 billion) in capital expenditure and an estimated 65,000-plus jobs, per the government statement citing UNCTAD and the UAE Ministry of Investment's FDI Report 2026. Manufacturing accounted for roughly 30% of investment inflows, communications and digital infrastructure 29%, and real estate 7% — a mix that skews toward industrial and telecom capital rather than property alone.

The 2031 Target

The UAE's National Investment Strategy sets a target of $65 billion (AED 240 billion) in annual FDI inflows and $600 billion (AED 2.2 trillion) in cumulative FDI stock by 2031, according to the Dubai Media Office statement. The strategy is backed by a National Investment Fund with $10 billion (AED 36.7 billion) in approved capital, cleared in November 2025. Against the 2025 base of $48.3 billion, reaching the 2031 inflow target implies roughly 35% cumulative growth from current levels — a path the government's public statement did not detail year by year.

What to Watch

The next test is UNCTAD's subsequent World Investment Report and whether the UAE's greenfield pipeline — concentrated in manufacturing and digital infrastructure — converts announced capex into realized spending. Watch also for any UAE disclosure that breaks out BRICS-member investment specifically, which would substantiate the 'gateway' framing beyond an aggregate national inflow total. None of the figures above should be read as a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any security.