9 November 2026
Projects worth more than AED 4 trillion (about USD 1.09 trillion) are under implementation in the UAE, Minister of Cabinet Affairs Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi said on Monday, 9 November 2026, opening the UAE Government Annual Meetings 2026 in Abu Dhabi. He named four priorities for the government: a stronger society, a more resilient economy, faster decisions and better public services. The meetings are chaired by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and bring together 500 of the country’s most senior officials on 9 and 10 November. No breakdown of the AED 4 trillion by sector, emirate or project owner was published with the statement.
What Al Gergawi said
Al Gergawi gave the figure in his opening address as evidence that work on major projects continues across the country. “Work on vital projects continues, with projects worth more than AED 4 trillion now under way in the UAE. Our message to the world is clear: our nation keeps moving forward,” he said. He credited government teams across federal and local entities with results that, in his words, have boosted “our solid and resilient economy across all sectors”.
He also said the government would answer setbacks with faster delivery: “In the UAE, we do not settle on achievements. We redouble the efforts and deliver faster results. If anyone tries to set us back a year, we work harder to move forward by 20.” Public trust in the government, social cohesion and coexistence, and discipline across communities, institutions and schools were named as factors that set the UAE apart.
Four priorities set for the meetings
According to Al Gergawi, this year’s meetings have one mission, set by President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. It has four parts:
- a stronger society;
- a more resilient economy;
- swifter decisions across government entities;
- better government services.
“Our message at the annual meetings is clear: to be stronger as a society, more resilient in our economy, faster in our decisions and better in delivering our services,” he said, as reported by Gulf News. The Government Annual Meetings were launched in 2017 and are held each year to review government performance, reassess national priorities and plan the next phase of development.
What is on the 2026 agenda
When approving the programme, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid said the meetings would assess the readiness of the economy, supplies and logistics, national resources and families, and review how government entities use artificial intelligence in their work and services, Economy Middle East reported.
The AI track follows a Cabinet decision taken this autumn. At its meeting on 2 September 2026, the UAE Cabinet approved the launch of the Cabinet AI Advisor system: 32 specialised AI advisors that analyse policies and legislation, assess their impact, review global best practice and put forward recommendations to ministers, according to the Dubai Media Office.
The supply and logistics track has recent figures behind it. At a ceremony on the opening day, national teams were honoured for keeping the country running during the regional escalation earlier in 2026. The National reported that the national logistics team redirected trade through east coast ports including Fujairah and Khor Fakkan, where container handling grew 316% to 1.8 million TEUs since February 2026, and that Dubai airports handled nearly 6 million passengers, more than 32,000 flights and 213,000 tonnes of cargo between late February and late April 2026.
How AED 4 trillion compares with other recent figures
The minister’s number is the total value of projects under implementation. It is not annual spending or annual output, so it should not be added to annual indicators such as trade or GDP. The table puts it next to other figures announced in recent weeks and the national targets for 2031:
| Indicator | Value | Announced |
|---|---|---|
| Projects under implementation in the UAE | more than AED 4 trillion | 9 November 2026, Mohammad Al Gergawi |
| Projects under way in Dubai | AED 2.1 trillion | 13 October 2026, Dubai Media Office |
| UAE foreign trade, January to September 2026 | close to AED 3 trillion | 8 November 2026, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid |
| We the UAE 2031: GDP target | AED 3 trillion, from AED 1.49 trillion | November 2022 |
| We the UAE 2031: foreign trade target | AED 4 trillion | November 2022 |
| We the UAE 2031: non-oil exports target | AED 800 billion | November 2022 |
The statement did not say whether the Dubai pipeline, announced in October with AED 1.1 trillion of real estate projects through 2030, is part of the national total. We covered the Dubai breakdown in our article on AED 2.1 trillion of projects under way in Dubai, and the nine-month trade result in UAE foreign trade nearing AED 3 trillion.
Where the national targets stand
We the UAE 2031, the national plan launched at the Government Annual Meetings in 2022, aims to double GDP from AED 1.49 trillion to AED 3 trillion, raise non-oil exports to AED 800 billion, bring foreign trade to AED 4 trillion and lift the tourism sector’s contribution to GDP to AED 450 billion. At the 2025 meetings Al Gergawi said 67% of the plan’s targets had already been achieved. The 2026 meetings are the next annual review point for that plan.
What is known and what is not
- Known: the total of more than AED 4 trillion, the venue and dates (Abu Dhabi, 9 and 10 November 2026), the 500 participants and the four priorities.
- Not published: the list of projects, the split by sector or emirate, the shares of federal, local and private investment, and delivery timelines.
- Not in the opening address: new fees, licensing rules, procurement programmes or deadlines for businesses. The meetings continue on 10 November, and decisions taken there are outside this article.
What this means for companies in the UAE
The statement does not change any rule, fee or procedure. For businesses it is a measure of scale: projects of this size are delivered through contractors, engineering firms, suppliers of materials and equipment, logistics operators and service providers. Specific opportunities are published by project owners and government bodies rather than in one national list. One public entry point is the Ministry of Investment platform opportunities.invest.gov.ae, which lists 143 investment-ready opportunities in six priority sectors.
Companies that plan to bid for project work usually check a few basics before the first tender:
- a UAE trade licence whose activities match the scope of work, which is the starting point of company setup in the UAE;
- whether the work will be done on the mainland or inside a free zone, since this affects which licence fits, as explained in our mainland vs free zone comparison;
- a corporate account that can receive contract payments, see bank account opening;
- vendor registration with each buyer, since government and semi-government entities run their own supplier registration;
- residence visas for the staff who will deliver the contract.
How Atlant Capital can help
Atlant Capital helps companies that want to work on UAE projects build the right structure from the start. We select licence activities that match the contracts, compare mainland and free zone options, open corporate bank accounts and arrange residence visas for the team. Our guide to company formation in the UAE explains the main routes, documents and steps. To discuss your case, contact our team.
Conclusion
On 9 November 2026 the UAE government put the value of projects under implementation at more than AED 4 trillion and set four priorities for the year ahead: society, economic resilience, faster decisions and better services. The breakdown of the pipeline has not been published, so for businesses the figure shows the scale of activity, while actual contracts sit with individual project owners and their procurement processes.
Source: Gulf News, The National, Economy Middle East, Dubai Media Office.
FAQ
What is the value of projects under way in the UAE in 2026?
More than AED 4 trillion, about USD 1.09 trillion. Minister of Cabinet Affairs Mohammad Al Gergawi gave the figure on 9 November 2026 at the opening of the UAE Government Annual Meetings 2026 in Abu Dhabi. No breakdown by sector, emirate or project owner was published.
What priorities did the UAE government set at the 2026 Annual Meetings?
Four: a stronger society, a more resilient economy, faster decisions and better government services. Al Gergawi said the mission was set by President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The meetings run on 9 and 10 November 2026, are chaired by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and bring together 500 senior officials.
Does the AED 4 trillion include Dubai’s AED 2.1 trillion of projects?
This was not stated. Dubai announced AED 2.1 trillion of projects under way on 13 October 2026, including AED 1.1 trillion of real estate projects through 2030. The federal statement did not explain how the two figures relate, so they should not be added together.
What are the economic targets of We the UAE 2031?
The plan aims to double GDP from AED 1.49 trillion to AED 3 trillion, raise non-oil exports to AED 800 billion, bring foreign trade to AED 4 trillion and lift tourism’s contribution to GDP to AED 450 billion. At the 2025 Government Annual Meetings, Al Gergawi said 67% of the targets had been achieved.
