5 October 2026
The UAE has entered the world’s top 25 innovation economies for the first time. In the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2026, published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva on 29 September 2026, the country ranks 25th of 139 economies with a score of 46.4, up five places from 30th in 2025. The UAE ranks first in the world on four indicators: entrepreneurship policies and culture, inbound international students, finance for startups and scaleups, and the new green-field R&D and high-tech FDI indicator. Its high-tech exports reached about USD 68.05 billion (around AED 250 billion) in 2024, up 36.35% on 2023. The detailed UAE results were presented by the Ministry of Economy and Tourism on 5 October 2026.
Where the UAE ranks in the Global Innovation Index 2026
The GII is WIPO’s annual benchmark of innovation performance. The 2026 edition is the 19th, covers 139 economies and uses 79 indicators, from R&D spending and high-tech trade to skilled employment and intellectual property licensing. The indicators are grouped into an Innovation Input Sub-Index with five pillars (institutions, human capital and research, infrastructure, market sophistication and business sophistication) and an Innovation Output Sub-Index with two pillars (knowledge and technology outputs, and creative outputs). The index is audited by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre.
Switzerland leads the ranking for a 16th consecutive year, followed by Sweden, the United States, the Republic of Korea and Singapore. No new economy entered the top 15 this year. WIPO names the UAE’s entry into the top 25 as one of the main movements in the 2026 ranking, alongside the recovery of Canada (16th), Australia (20th) and New Zealand (24th).
In the Northern Africa and Western Asia region, the UAE is second behind Israel (15th) and ahead of Cyprus (29th) and Saudi Arabia (42nd). On the two sub-indices, the UAE moved up to 12th in innovation inputs from 14th in 2025, and to 42nd in innovation outputs from 47th.
Seven pillars: strongest in institutions, human capital and infrastructure
The UAE’s ranks across the seven GII pillars in 2026 are shown below. According to the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, the country performs above the average of high-income economies in the five input pillars and above the regional average in all seven pillars.
| GII pillar | UAE rank 2026 |
|---|---|
| Institutions | 9th |
| Human capital and research | 13th |
| Infrastructure | 13th |
| Market sophistication | 14th |
| Business sophistication | 25th |
| Knowledge and technology outputs | 47th |
| Creative outputs | 36th |
Inside the pillars, the UAE is among the world’s top eight economies in six sub-pillars: 1st in higher education, 2nd in business environment, 5th in general infrastructure, 5th in knowledge absorption, 7th in information and communication technologies (ICT) and 8th in credit.
Four indicators where the UAE ranks first in the world
- Entrepreneurship policies and culture. The UAE also ranked first in the world for entrepreneurship in the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor for the fifth year running, as we covered in our article on SME licence growth and the GEM ranking.
- Tertiary inbound mobility, the share of international students in higher education.
- Finance for startups and scaleups.
- Green-field R&D and high-tech FDI, an indicator introduced in the GII 2026.
The new indicator was built by WIPO with FT Locations on the fDi Markets database. It counts announced cross-border investments in new projects or expansions where the activity is R&D, design, development and testing, or a high-tech sector. For each economy WIPO takes its share of such projects worldwide in 2023-2025 and divides it by its share of world gross fixed capital formation. Mergers and acquisitions are not counted.
According to WIPO, companies announced close to 6,000 green-field R&D and high-tech projects in 2025, roughly one in three of all green-field projects worldwide. The top 10 destinations attracted 58% of these projects, led by the United States, India and the UAE.
Outputs: brands, mobile apps and high-tech exports
On the output side, the UAE ranks 6th in the world for the value of its brands among the global top 5,000, 7th for mobile app creation, 9th for creative goods exports, 13th for high-tech exports and 19th for intellectual property receipts as a share of total trade. WIPO also notes gains in high-tech manufacturing (48th), patent families (41st) and FDI inflows (20th).
The figures behind these ranks, as reported by the Ministry of Economy and Tourism:
- UAE brands among the world’s top 5,000 were worth about USD 101.66 billion (around AED 373 billion) in 2026, up 15% from 2025.
- Apps from UAE-based developers and companies recorded about 2.91 billion downloads worldwide in 2025, up 9.81% from 2024.
- High-tech exports reached about USD 68.05 billion (around AED 250 billion) in 2024, up 36.35% from 2023.
AED amounts are converted at the fixed rate of AED 3.6725 per US dollar. The export figure refers to 2024, the latest year available in the index.
The gap between inputs and outputs
WIPO places the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar in the high-input, lower-output part of its chart: the UAE is 12th in inputs and 42nd in outputs, Saudi Arabia 30th and 62nd, Qatar 33rd and 67th. In WIPO’s words, these economies “have built substantial institutional, infrastructure and investment foundations; the next stage is to convert these assets into scalable results.” At the same time, WIPO says the UAE is the furthest along among the Gulf economies in turning these foundations into broader innovation activity.
Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, said the five-place rise reflects the country’s institutional, human and technological strengths and its continued investment in knowledge and technology, in line with the We the UAE 2031 vision.
What the ranking means for companies in the UAE
The GII is a benchmark, not a regulation: it does not change licensing rules, government fees or visa requirements. It is a comparable, audited measure of the conditions a company works in, and several of the UAE’s top positions describe exactly those conditions: business environment (2nd), finance for startups and scaleups (1st), credit (8th), higher education (1st) and the inflow of international students (1st).
For founders who plan a technology, software or R&D business in the UAE, the practical steps stay the same:
- Choose between mainland and a free zone based on where your clients are and which activities you need.
- Select licence activities that match the real business, for example software development, IT services or research and development.
- Budget for the licence, office or flexi-desk, and residence visas for founders and staff.
- Prepare the corporate bank account application with a clear description of the business model and sources of funds.
- Plan trademark and other intellectual property protection from the start.
How Atlant Capital can help
Atlant Capital helps entrepreneurs set up and run companies in the UAE. We advise on the choice between mainland and free zone, select licence activities, including technology and R&D activities, and handle company setup from the trade licence to the establishment card. Our guide to company formation in the UAE explains the steps, documents and timelines. We also prepare corporate bank account applications and arrange work permits and residence visas for founders and staff.
Conclusion
In the Global Innovation Index 2026 the UAE ranks 25th of 139 economies, up from 30th, and enters the global top 25 for the first time. It is first in the world on four indicators, including finance for startups and scaleups and the new green-field R&D and high-tech FDI indicator, 12th in innovation inputs and 42nd in outputs. WIPO’s assessment is clear on both sides: strong foundations, and the conversion of those foundations into patents, technologies and globally competitive firms as the next step.
Source: Khaleej Times, WIPO, Global Innovation Index 2026.
FAQ
What is the UAE’s rank in the Global Innovation Index 2026?
The UAE ranks 25th of 139 economies in WIPO’s Global Innovation Index 2026, with a score of 46.4. It rose five places from 30th in 2025 and entered the global top 25 for the first time. In its region it is second after Israel (15th).
In which GII 2026 indicators is the UAE first in the world?
The UAE ranks first globally on four indicators: entrepreneurship policies and culture, tertiary inbound mobility (international students), finance for startups and scaleups, and green-field R&D and high-tech FDI. The last indicator was introduced in the GII 2026 and is based on announced cross-border investment projects.
How much are UAE high-tech exports worth?
According to the GII 2026 data reported by the UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism, UAE high-tech exports reached about USD 68.05 billion (around AED 250 billion) in 2024, up 36.35% from 2023. The UAE ranks 13th in the world for high-tech exports.
Does the Global Innovation Index ranking change rules for companies in the UAE?
No. The GII is an annual benchmark published by WIPO and does not change licensing rules, government fees or visa requirements. It measures conditions such as business environment, credit and startup finance, where the UAE ranks 2nd, 8th and 1st in the 2026 edition.
