Published: 2026-08-26
Dubai ranked first in the world for new foreign direct investment projects in the cultural and creative industries for a fourth consecutive year in 2025, according to fDi Markets data from the Financial Times published by Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and Dubai Culture on 2026-08-25. The emirate attracted 754 greenfield projects, which created 19,304 jobs and brought in USD 3.756 billion (about AED 13.8 billion) of capital. That put Dubai ahead of London (227 projects), Singapore (197), Riyadh (157) and Bengaluru (132) among the 233 cities tracked, and second globally by the value of capital inflows. India (19%), the United States (17.5%) and China (13%) were the largest sources of capital, while the United Kingdom (21.5%) and India (21%) generated the most projects. Investment is moving towards digital content, gaming, AI-driven creative technology and data services, the sectors where most new licences and jobs in Dubai’s creative economy are now being created.
What the fDi Markets ranking measures
fDi Markets is the Financial Times database that tracks cross-border greenfield investment, meaning new operations, offices, studios and facilities opened by foreign companies rather than acquisitions of existing businesses. Its Creative Industries Cluster groups together advertising and public relations, specialised computer programming, data processing and digital services, film, media and gaming, creative technology built on artificial intelligence, creative education, design and architecture, crafts, performing arts, and museums and cultural venues. The 2025 edition compared 233 cities on this basis.
The ranking that Dubai has now held for four years running (2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025) counts the number of new projects announced by foreign investors. On that measure Dubai’s 754 projects were more than three times London’s 227 and nearly four times Singapore’s 197. Riyadh, the closest regional competitor, recorded 157, and Bengaluru, India’s technology capital, 132. On the separate measure of capital invested, Dubai ranked second worldwide with USD 3.756 billion.
The 2025 figures in detail
| Indicator | 2025 result (fDi Markets) |
|---|---|
| Global rank by new CCI FDI projects | 1st of 233 cities, fourth consecutive year |
| Greenfield projects | 754 |
| Jobs created | 19,304 |
| Capital inflows | USD 3.756 billion (about AED 13.8 billion) |
| Global rank by capital inflows | 2nd |
| Nearest competitors by projects | London 227, Singapore 197, Riyadh 157, Bengaluru 132 |
| Top sources of capital | India 19%, USA 17.5%, China 13%, Malaysia 12%, UK 9% |
| Top sources of projects | UK 21.5%, India 21%, USA 14%, France 4% |
The geography of the money is worth reading closely. Indian investors provided the largest share of capital at 19% and were second by number of projects at 21%, which is consistent with the wider picture of 85,841 Indian companies operating from Dubai. American investors contributed 17.5% of capital and 14% of projects. China (13%) and Malaysia (12%) appear among the top five capital sources, a sign that Asian studios, gaming publishers and digital service providers are choosing Dubai as their base for the Middle East and Africa. British companies led by project count with 21.5%, and France accounted for 4% of projects.
How 2025 compares with 2024
The 2025 result should be read alongside the previous year. According to the Dubai Media Office release of 2025-05-05, in 2024 Dubai attracted 971 creative-industry FDI projects, AED 18.86 billion of capital and 23,517 jobs, also first among 233 cities. The 2025 figures of 754 projects, about AED 13.8 billion and 19,304 jobs are therefore lower on all three counts, although the gap to the second-placed city remained wide: London’s 227 projects were less than a third of Dubai’s total. The official releases for 2025 do not comment on the year-on-year change, and fDi Markets itself notes that global greenfield activity fluctuates with the timing of large announcements.
The composition of investors also shifted. In 2024 the United States was the largest source of capital at 23.2%, followed by India at 13.4%; in 2025 India moved to first place at 19% with the United States at 17.5%. China and Malaysia entered the top five sources of capital in 2025, replacing Switzerland (7.6% in 2024) and Saudi Arabia (4.8%). By number of projects, India led in 2024 at 18.8% and the United Kingdom was second at 16.3%; in 2025 the order reversed, with the UK at 21.5% and India at 21%.
Where the investment is going
Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, described the direction of the flows: “We are witnessing a clear shift towards industries connected to digital content, creative technology, artificial intelligence, and emerging creative services.” She added that Dubai “has built an environment that gives creativity room to grow, enables talent to turn ambition into enterprise, and connects promising ideas with investment.”
Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of DET, said the ranking reflects the “enduring confidence that Dubai inspires among global investors.” DET credited three policy factors: full foreign ownership of companies, dedicated creative and technology clusters such as Dubai Media City, Dubai Design District and Dubai Internet City, and long-term residency options for creative talent. The results are also tracked under the Dubai Cultural Statistics Framework, which DET and Dubai Culture use to measure the creative economy.
The sub-sectors growing fastest are the ones closest to technology: gaming studios, streaming and digital content producers, AI-powered design and marketing tools, and data services for media companies. Traditional creative activities, including architecture and design practices, film production, performing arts and museums, continue to attract projects but account for a smaller share of the capital. The same pattern is visible in the local market, where outdoor advertising contracts worth AED 1.5 billion are being converted to digital formats.
The policy framework behind the numbers
Two strategies set the targets against which these results are measured. The Dubai Creative Economy Strategy aims to raise the creative industries’ contribution to the emirate’s GDP from 2.6% in 2020 to 5%, to increase the number of creative companies from 8,300 to 15,000, and to grow the number of creative professionals from 70,000 to 140,000, with the stated goal of making Dubai the global capital of the creative economy by 2026. The Dubai Economic Agenda D33 sets the wider target of doubling the size of the economy by 2033 and positioning Dubai among the top three cities in the world for foreign direct investment. The creative-industry ranking is one of the indicators the government reports against both plans.
For the creative sector these plans translate into concrete instruments: the Cultural Visa and Golden Visa categories for creative professionals, free zone licences in media, design and technology clusters with 100% foreign ownership, and 0% corporate tax on qualifying free zone income for businesses that meet the substance and activity conditions. Dubai’s record across all sectors, first in the world for greenfield FDI projects for a fifth year in 2025 and a national FDI inflow of AED 177.3 billion, provides the backdrop.
What this means for companies considering Dubai
For a foreign studio, agency or digital service provider, the numbers describe a market where 754 competitors and partners arrived in a single year. Practical implications follow:
- Choice of jurisdiction matters. Media, design and technology activities can be licensed in mainland Dubai or in specialised free zones (Dubai Media City, Dubai Design District, Dubai Internet City, Dubai Studio City, DMCC and others), each with different activity lists, office requirements and costs.
- Talent visas are part of the setup. Creative professionals qualify for long-term residency routes including the Golden Visa, and employers in free zones sponsor work permits through the free zone rather than MOHRE.
- Banking follows licensing. A newly licensed creative company needs a corporate account before it can invoice clients in the UAE; banks assess the activity, the shareholders and the expected transaction profile.
- Substance conditions apply to tax benefits. Free zone companies that want the 0% corporate tax rate on qualifying income must maintain adequate staff, premises and expenditure in the zone and file annual returns.
How Atlant Capital can help
Atlant Capital works with foreign founders and companies entering Dubai’s creative and technology sectors. We advise on the choice between mainland and free zone licensing and handle company formation in Dubai and the UAE from activity selection to licence issue, arrange work visas, Golden Visa and residency for founders, creative staff and their families, and manage corporate bank account opening so that a studio or agency can start invoicing from its first month in the market.
Conclusion
Dubai’s fourth consecutive first place in the fDi Markets creative-industry ranking rests on 754 new projects, 19,304 jobs and USD 3.756 billion of capital in 2025, a margin of more than 500 projects over London. The figures are below the 2024 peak, but the sources of investment have broadened, with India, the United States, China, Malaysia and the United Kingdom all contributing at least 9% of capital, and the weight of the sector is shifting towards gaming, digital content and AI-based creative technology. For companies in those fields the message is that Dubai is where their competitors and partners are already setting up.
FAQ
Why does Dubai rank first for creative industry FDI?
fDi Markets counted 754 new greenfield FDI projects in Dubai’s cultural and creative industries in 2025, the most of any of the 233 cities tracked and the fourth year in a row that Dubai has led the ranking. London was second with 227 projects, Singapore third with 197. DET attributes the result to full foreign ownership, specialised creative and technology clusters, and long-term residency for creative talent.
How much foreign investment did Dubai’s creative industries attract in 2025?
Greenfield FDI capital inflows into Dubai’s cultural and creative industries reached USD 3.756 billion, about AED 13.8 billion, in 2025, according to fDi Markets. That placed Dubai second in the world by capital invested in the sector. The 754 projects created 19,304 jobs. In 2024 the figures were AED 18.86 billion, 971 projects and 23,517 jobs.
Which countries invest most in Dubai’s creative sector?
By capital in 2025, India led with 19%, followed by the United States (17.5%), China (13%), Malaysia (12%) and the United Kingdom (9%). By number of projects, the United Kingdom led with 21.5%, followed by India (21%), the United States (14%) and France (4%). In 2024 the United States had been the largest source of capital at 23.2%.
Which creative sectors are growing fastest in Dubai?
According to Dubai Culture, investment is shifting towards digital content, creative technology, artificial intelligence and emerging creative services. The fDi Markets cluster also includes advertising and PR, computer programming, data processing, film, media and gaming, creative education, design and architecture, performing arts and museums, all of which recorded new projects in 2025.
