23 October 2026
The UAE Ministry of Investment has launched Investment Opportunities, an online platform at opportunities.invest.gov.ae that lists 143 investment-ready opportunities across six priority sectors: manufacturing, transport and logistics, healthcare and life sciences, renewable energy, information and communications technology (ICT) and financial services. The platform went live on Thursday, 22 October 2026. Foreign investors can search projects by sector, compare investment profiles of all seven emirates and contact ministry advisers directly. The launch supports the National Investment Strategy 2031, which targets AED 240 billion of foreign direct investment (FDI) a year by 2031. In 2025 the UAE attracted a record USD 48.3 billion (AED 177.3 billion) of inward FDI and ranked ninth in the world.
What the Investment Opportunities platform offers
The platform runs under the InvestUAE brand of the Ministry of Investment. It brings together three things that an international investor usually has to collect from different government bodies: a pipeline of specific projects, data on each emirate and a contact point inside the federal government.
Each opportunity has its own profile. Most profiles show a target internal rate of return (IRR), a payback period, the expected market growth to 2031 and an indicative investment size. The pipeline can be filtered by sector, and the platform shows each sector’s subsectors and the market size the ministry projects for 2031.
According to the ministry, the platform also explains the strengths and infrastructure of each emirate, so that investors can compare locations, and sets out the incentives and ministry support available at different stages of the investment process. At the bottom of the page, an investor can register interest by giving a name, organisation, work email, sector of interest and an indicative ticket size. An adviser then replies with relevant opportunities, applicable incentives and next steps.
143 opportunities in six sectors
The project list on the platform currently holds 143 profiles. Manufacturing is by far the largest group with 50 opportunities, from aerospace and defence components to chemicals and electric vehicle assembly. The ministry marked one flagship opportunity per sector.
| Sector | Projects | Market by 2031, USD billion |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 50 | 537 |
| Transport and logistics | 25 | 98 |
| Healthcare and life sciences | 24 | 119 |
| Renewable energy | 15 | 55 |
| Financial services | 15 | 85 |
| ICT | 14 | 53 |
Market sizes are the ministry’s estimates. The flagship opportunities are:
- manufacturing: components manufacturing;
- transport and logistics: a decarbonisation retrofit cluster;
- healthcare and life sciences: bioprocess inputs manufacturing;
- renewable energy: low and medium voltage switchgear manufacturing;
- financial services: instant payments services and overlay platforms;
- ICT: government technology (GovTech) platforms.
The flagship components manufacturing project carries a target IRR of 31-36% on the platform. Indicative investment sizes start at USD 5 million, for manufacturing of biogas plant skids in renewable energy. Healthcare profiles are mostly compact: 19 of the 24 are below USD 50 million. Infrastructure items run into billions of dollars, for example USD 4.8 billion for a passenger terminal expansion. In financial services the profiles are broader and describe business models such as private wealth managers, multi-family office platforms, secondaries funds and digital asset custody.
How the investor journey works
The ministry describes a three-stage path with a single point of contact at every stage:
- Pre-investment. Opportunity and sector intelligence, an assessment of incentive eligibility, and support with site selection, partners and feasibility.
- Investment. Licensing and company formation, fast-track approvals and permits, and visa and talent mobilisation.
- Post-investment. A dedicated relationship manager, pathways for expansion and reinvestment, and policy advocacy and issue resolution.
The second stage matters most in practice: every opportunity on the list still ends with a legal entity in a specific emirate or free zone, with its own trade licence, activities and visa quota.
Seven emirates, seven investor propositions
The platform gives each emirate a short positioning, in the ministry’s own words:
- Abu Dhabi: sovereign capital and energy, with over USD 2 trillion in sovereign wealth and AI at scale.
- Dubai: global trade and headquarters hub, with the world’s busiest airport, Jebel Ali port and DIFC.
- Sharjah: the UAE’s largest manufacturing base with 44% of the nation’s factories and ports on both coasts.
- Ras Al Khaimah: the lowest-cost operating base, with bulk port capacity and export manufacturing.
- Ajman: a low-cost entry platform next to Dubai, suited to SMEs testing the UAE market.
- Fujairah: the east coast gateway beyond the Strait of Hormuz and the world’s second-largest bunkering hub.
- Umm Al Quwain: the most affordable jurisdiction, with blue economy assets and integration with Dubai.
The numbers behind the launch
The National Investment Strategy 2031 sets two FDI targets: annual inflows of AED 240 billion and a total FDI stock of AED 2.2 trillion by 2031. In 2025 the UAE received USD 48.3 billion, or AED 177.3 billion, of inward FDI. It was the fourth consecutive year of record inflows, and UNCTAD’s World Investment Report 2026 placed the UAE ninth globally. The 2025 figure equals about 74% of the annual target for 2031. The platform also shows an inward FDI stock of USD 318.9 billion at the end of 2025, first place in the MENA region for FDI inflows, 40 comprehensive economic partnership agreements (CEPAs) and more than 120 bilateral investment treaties.
Minister of Investment Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi said: “As we advance the National Investment Strategy 2031, our focus is on channelling global capital into priority sectors that strengthen national capabilities, advance economic diversification and support the UAE’s long-term competitiveness.”
The launch follows other signs of how fast the business base is growing. In October we wrote that the number of UAE new-economy companies rose 37% in a year to nearly 125,000.
What this means for companies and founders
The platform is aimed at investors who plan to build or acquire a business in one of the six sectors, and the project profiles are sized for corporate and institutional capital. For smaller companies its main use is public data: sector market sizes, subsectors and the ministry’s view of each emirate. A practical checklist for anyone considering one of the listed opportunities:
- Start with the sector and the emirate. Compare the emirate profiles on the platform with your own needs: port access, factory land, cost base, proximity to clients.
- Register interest with a realistic ticket. The form asks for an indicative investment size, and the adviser’s reply depends on it.
- Plan the legal entity early. A listed opportunity is not a licence. The project still needs a company in mainland or a free zone, with activities that match the project.
- Ask about incentives before choosing the structure. The ministry offers an incentive eligibility assessment at the pre-investment stage, and its result is worth having before the emirate and jurisdiction are fixed.
- Budget for people. Visas for founders, managers and staff are part of the second stage and take time to arrange.
The choice between mainland and free zone, and between emirates, affects activities, office requirements and banking. Our guide to company formation in the UAE walks through these options step by step.
How Atlant Capital can help
Atlant Capital supports investors after the investment decision is made. We handle company setup in the UAE: choosing the emirate and jurisdiction, selecting activities that match the project, preparing documents and obtaining the licence. We also arrange work visas and residency for shareholders, managers and staff, so that the team can start work once the entity is in place.
Conclusion
On 22 October 2026 the UAE Ministry of Investment opened a single platform with 143 investment opportunities in six priority sectors, profiles of all seven emirates and direct access to ministry advisers. Manufacturing leads the list with 50 projects. The platform supports the National Investment Strategy 2031 target of AED 240 billion in annual FDI, against AED 177.3 billion attracted in 2025.
Source: Gulf Business, UAE Ministry of Investment, Investment Opportunities platform.
FAQ
What is the UAE Investment Opportunities platform?
It is an online platform of the UAE Ministry of Investment at opportunities.invest.gov.ae, launched on 22 October 2026. It lists 143 investment opportunities in six priority sectors, compares investment profiles of all seven emirates and lets investors contact ministry advisers directly.
Which sectors does the UAE investment platform cover?
Six sectors: manufacturing (50 opportunities), transport and logistics (25), healthcare and life sciences (24), renewable energy (15), financial services (15) and ICT (14). Each sector has one flagship opportunity, for example components manufacturing and instant payments platforms.
How much FDI does the UAE want to attract by 2031?
The National Investment Strategy 2031 targets annual FDI inflows of AED 240 billion and a total FDI stock of AED 2.2 trillion by 2031. In 2025 the UAE attracted USD 48.3 billion (AED 177.3 billion), a fourth consecutive record year, and ranked ninth globally in UNCTAD’s World Investment Report 2026.
Does an opportunity on the platform replace a UAE business licence?
No. The platform helps investors find a project and get ministry support, but the investment still needs a legal entity with a trade licence in mainland or a free zone. The ministry lists licensing, company formation, approvals and visas as part of the investment stage of its support.
