UAE Ranks First Globally in Entrepreneurship for Fifth Consecutive Year

Drawing on data from 53 economies representing 57% of global GDP, the report ranks the UAE first among high-income nations across eight key indicators: from physical infrastructure and government policy to entrepreneurial education and ease of market entry.

The UAE also places second globally for entrepreneurial finance and access to funding, underscoring both policy ambition and a maturing ecosystem with real depth and is one of only four countries to have achieved "sufficiency" across every entrepreneurship framework condition, a distinction that separates aspiration from execution.

On the technology front, the UAE is among just six countries where entrepreneurs unanimously recognise AI as a critical priority over the next three years, and joins Taiwan, Norway, and Sweden in receiving an "excellent" rating for both sustainability priorities and AI awareness. This dual focus on technology and stewardship is mirrored in the country's flagship innovation platforms including Dubai Future Solutions - Prototypes for Humanity; the annual Dubai summit run in partnership with the Dubai Future Foundation that has become one of the clearest expressions of how the UAE channels global academic talent toward tangible, applied solutions. Drawing on a network of more than 20,000 professors across over 1,000 universities on six continents, the programme works hands-on with global university talent to translate scientific research into industry-aligned solutions — a journey that begins with technology validation in real-world environments and evolves towards business set-up, commercial projects and growth.

Source: UAE Ministry of Economy & Tourism — “UAE Ranks First Globally in the GEM 2025-2026 Global Report for the Fifth Consecutive Year”