Business

Dubai Chambers opens first US office in New York

Dubai Chambers has announced the opening of its first representative office in the United States, located in New York. The announcement was made during the Dubai Business Forum – USA, which was held in New York in the presence of 700 senior business leaders, investors, and officials.

The event featured the participation of the largest-ever overseas business delegation led by Dubai Chambers, comprising more than 80 public and private sector leaders from Dubai.

The new office further expands the global network of Dubai International Chamber, one of the three chambers operating under the umbrella of Dubai Chambers. This strategic step is designed to strengthen economic ties and explore opportunities to expand trade and investment cooperation between Dubai and the United States. The office will support American companies seeking to establish operations in Dubai and expand from the emirate into global markets, while also assisting Dubai-based companies in pursuing their growth plans in the United States.

Held under the theme ‘Dubai-USA: Opportunities Driving Mutual Growth,’ the forum was organised by Dubai Chambers with the US Chamber of Commerce and the US–UAE. Business Council as supporting partners. The event featured 14 panel sessions with a total of 32 speakers. The discussions explored prospects for new partnerships between the business communities in Dubai and the United States, as well as the opportunities created by the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 for American businesses and investors.

The forum’s sessions explored the diversity and resilience of Dubai’s economy and highlighted the strong momentum across the emirate’s key sectors. Discussions also focused on the wide range of opportunities available to American investors and the competitive advantages that position Dubai as a leading global hub for business and investment.

During his opening remarks, Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, Chairman of Dubai Chambers, stated,“Dubai and the United States have built robust economic and trade relations founded on decades of productive cooperation and mutual trust. The United States remains one of Dubai’s key strategic partners, ranking fourth among the emirate’s top international trading partners in 2024. Bilateral non-oil trade reached AED116.4 billion last year, registering annual growth of 10% and reflecting strong upward momentum in trade flows.”

He added, “In a strong indication of Dubai’s increasing attractiveness for the American business community, 787 new US companies joined Dubai Chamber of Commerce during the first nine months of 2025, bringing the total number of American companies registered as active members of the chamber to 3,690 by the end of September. Dubai attracted AED79.6 billion in foreign direct investment from the United States during the 10-year period from 2015 to 2024. The US also ranked first globally in terms of total FDI capital flows into Dubai during H1 2025, accounting for 35% of total FDI inflows into the emirate.”

Al Mansoori added, “The launch of our new office and hosting the Dubai Business Forum – USA in New York mark strategic milestones that will unlock new paths for investment and build high-value, sustainable partnerships with the American business community. These steps will help attract quality investment into priority sectors, reinforce the objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, and advance the shared economic interests of both Dubai and the United States.”

The Dubai Chambers delegation participating in the forum represented the largest overseas business delegation ever led by the organisation. The diversity of sectors represented reflected the importance of the US market and the forum’s vital role as a platform for high-value economic partnerships.

The forum included a dedicated session examining Dubai’s success in creating a competitive business environment built on strong partnerships, innovation, and growth. Speakers highlighted the policies and strategies driving the emirate’s efforts to expand investment opportunities under D33 and explored insights on key economic sectors.

Another session focused on Dubai’s position as a global centre for fintech, highlighting the policies that have strengthened its attractiveness to international firms in this future-facing sector. An additional panel highlighted Dubai’s role as an innovation hub for US companies seeking global expansion, emphasising the emirate’s access to venture capital, availability of world-class talent, and supportive policies that provide connectivity to markets across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

Speakers also discussed how companies can leverage opportunities to expand beyond traditional markets. A dedicated panel examined global sovereign wealth fund activity, highlighting Dubai’s role as an international investment hub and its influence on capital flows amid shifting global dynamics.

The forum featured in-depth discussions on the future of artificial intelligence and Dubai’s proactive regulatory frameworks, as well as the emirate’s data-driven digital infrastructure. Sessions also explored the new technologies shaping the future of asset management and investment.

Across a series of panel discussions, the forum introduced the American business community to Dubai’s role as a hub for talent and highly skilled professionals across diverse sectors. Speakers highlighted the strong growth in Dubai’s startup ecosystem and the rise of venture capital activity, underlining the emirate’s status as a global centre for entrepreneurship and innovation in future-oriented sectors such as artificial intelligence, fintech, quantum computing, and robotics.

Discussions examined Dubai’s efforts to build an integrated business ecosystem that nurtures and supports digital innovation, as well as the key factors encouraging entrepreneurs and founders from around the world to choose Dubai as a preferred destination to live, work, and invest.

Participants also explored the regulatory frameworks and enabling factors that are enhancing Dubai’s competitiveness across a wide range of sectors, from digital trade and virtual assets to logistics and venture capital.

WAM

Business

UAE President to Begin Working Visit to India

UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan will begin a working visit to the Republic of India tomorrow.

During the visit, His Highness will hold talks with His Excellency Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, to explore opportunities to strengthen bilateral cooperation, reflecting the longstanding ties and Comprehensive Strategic and Economic Partnerships between the two countries.

WAM

Business

UAE records key gains in energy, infrastructure, housing in 2025

The United Arab Emirates reported significant growth across its energy, infrastructure, maritime transport, housing and digital transformation sectors in 2025, underscoring its ability to pair long-term planning with execution on the ground.

The achievements reflect a government approach built on innovation, operational efficiency and improving quality of life, demonstrating the ability to translate national strategies into tangible results that strengthen the country’s competitiveness.

In the housing sector, the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure issued 3,567 housing support decisions with a total value of AED2.546 billion. These decisions included housing grants, loans, and housing financing solutions.

These efforts contributed to an unprecedented achievement, as the homeownership rate among UAE citizens rose to 91 percent, one of the highest rates globally. The UAE also won, for the first time, the presidency of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) General Assembly and secured membership on its Executive Council.

As for the energy sector, 2025 marked the launch of the Global Energy Efficiency Alliance, which attracted the participation of more than 40 countries and international organisations—an initiative that underscores the UAE’s advanced role in leading global dialogues on reducing consumption and enhancing efficiency.

The year also witnessed the publication of the State of Energy Report 2025, the election of the UAE as a member of the Water Council of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the launch of a guidance manual for supporting domestic workers in eight languages to raise community awareness of responsible consumption practices.

The implementation of the National Energy and Water Demand Management Programme 2050 further reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to reducing energy demand by 42 percent–45 percent by 2050, through a comprehensive portfolio of projects and initiatives spanning the industrial, agricultural, built environment, and transport sectors.

In the infrastructure and transport sectors, the Ministry worked on developing the National Agenda for Addressing Traffic Congestion, which includes a portfolio of national transport and road projects valued at over AED170 billion through 2030.

The Ministry’s plan targets a 73 percent improvement in the efficiency of federal roads over the next five years, through the implementation of the Emirates Road upgrading and capacity enhancement project, with an investment of AED750 million. The plan also includes increasing the capacity of Al Ittihad Road by 60 percent and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road by 45 percent.

Additionally, the plan includes a feasibility study for the construction of the Fourth Federal Road, extending 120 kilometres with a capacity of up to 360,000 trips per day.

Moreover, the Ministry completed five major transformational projects, which are the humanisation of buildings and their transformation into healthy, well-being–supportive environments, the development of the Green Recycling Yards Project, the advancement of green industrial transformation, the implementation of the Sustainable Farm Irrigation Project, and the recycling of electric and hybrid vehicle batteries.

The UAE also continued to strengthen its global maritime presence by hosting the World Maritime Day Parallel Event and launching the National Maritime Navigation Centre, in addition to being re-elected for the fifth consecutive term to Category “B” membership of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).

The Ministry also won 41 local, regional, and international awards and obtained 19 ISO certifications, underscoring the maturity of its administrative systems and the quality of its operational processes.

In support of enhanced community engagement, the Ministry held 30 customer council meetings across the Emirates and signed 26 agreements and memoranda of understanding to expand partnerships, knowledge exchange, and amplify the impact of national projects. The year also witnessed the launch of the first fully integrated digital government services centre in Fujairah.

“The year 2025 represents an important milestone in the development journey of the energy, infrastructure, transport, and housing sectors in the UAE,” said Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure. “We witnessed tangible progress in the implementation of strategic projects that reflect the vision of our wise leadership in building an integrated, more efficient, and sustainable ecosystem capable of supporting economic growth and enhancing quality of life.”

“Our efforts have focused on strengthening the readiness of federal infrastructure, improving the efficiency of the energy system, and developing advanced housing solutions that align with the needs of citizens and their future aspirations,” he said.

Al Mazrouei added that the achievements realised in 2025 confirm the Ministry’s ability to translate national plans into concrete, data-driven results by adopting a work model based on effective governance, efficient resource management, and the expansion of local, regional, and international partnerships.”

“We commence 2026 confidently, building on clear results and solid foundations, while reaffirming our commitment to supporting the objectives of the ‘We the UAE 2031’ Vision, on the path toward the UAE Centennial 2071. The Ministry will continue its work to ensure advanced infrastructure, a sustainable energy sector, and flexible housing solutions that collectively enhance the country’s competitiveness and leadership at both the regional and global levels,” he noted.

WAM

Business

Industry Ministry, WEF Partner on Global Minerals

The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources and the World Economic Forum announced a cooperation agreement signed on the sidelines of the Future Minerals Forum (FMF) in Riyadh. The signing took place in the presence of Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef, FMF Chief Executive Ali Al-Mutairi, and World Economic Forum Executive Committee Member Fernando J. Gómez.
Under the agreement, the cooperation will run until September 2027, with FMF serving as the central and principal platform for implementation and management of the related dialogue. The cooperation aims to unify efforts to strengthen partnerships around critical minerals required for energy and other technologies, contributing to the assurance of resilient, sustainable, and responsible mineral supplies aligned with industrial objectives and the energy transition. According to the agreement, the initiative will be overseen by a joint executive committee comprising representatives from the ministry and the World Economic Forum.
The Future Minerals Forum and the World Economic Forum will support efforts to mobilize the public and private sectors to enhance resilience, transparency, and capacity building across mineral value chains. This includes developing and disseminating insights and knowledge on mineral traceability and policy options to increase supply. These insights are intended to complement FMF’s ongoing initiatives to advance standards and best practices in the sector.
The minister affirmed that this partnership represents a pivotal step toward advancing FMF’s objectives in building a more sustainable and equitable global minerals ecosystem, emphasizing that cooperation with the World Economic Forum embodies the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s vision to become a key hub within global mineral value chains.
Gómez expressed optimism about the cooperation with the ministry, stressing that securing resilient and sustainable mineral supplies requires close collaboration across sectors and borders, and that this partnership will help unlock the potential of mineral resources as drivers of sustainable growth and shared prosperity.
This cooperation further strengthens the Kingdom’s ongoing efforts to advance international collaboration on minerals. Since the launch of the Future Minerals Forum in 2022, it has become a global platform that has helped shape the future of minerals and provides a space for cross-sector dialogue that supports action and leadership in mineral traceability and sustainability.
The ministry, the World Economic Forum, and the Future Minerals Forum will leverage this agreement to enhance cooperation between governments and the private sector, support enabling policies, best practices, and innovations across mineral supply chains, address sustainability and efficiency challenges, and strengthen environmental, social, and corporate governance standards.
The agreement reflects the World Economic Forum’s role as a neutral, non-profit international organization that supports cross-sector cooperation and promotes solution-oriented dialogue to ensure resource sustainability and inclusive growth. The project’s outcomes and insights are expected to contribute to the sixth edition of FMF, to be hosted in Riyadh in January 2027.
It is noteworthy that FMF brings together, through the government-led ministerial roundtable, senior government representatives, policymakers, industry leaders, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, and stakeholders across the mineral value chain to address sector challenges, enhance investment opportunities, and ensure responsible and resilient mineral supplies.
— SPA