The UAE Cabinet, chaired by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has approved an ambitious national investment strategy that aims to more than double annual foreign direct investment (FDI) flows by 2031 [1,2].

The strategy targets increasing annual FDI inflows from AED 112 billion in 2023 to AED 240 billion by 2031, while growing the total foreign investment stock from AED 800 billion to AED 2.2 trillion over the same period [3,4].

The plan focuses on five priority sectors: industry, financial services, logistics, renewable energy, and information technology. It includes 12 new national programs and 30 initiatives to achieve these goals [1,2,3].

"The UAE continues to develop its economy, open markets, attract investments, and create the best business environment globally," stated Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid [4].

The strategy also aims to increase FDI's contribution to GDP to over 8% and raise the share of foreign direct investment to more than 30% of total investments [2,3].

In related developments, the Cabinet approved several other initiatives including:

A new national health risk management policyImplementation guidelines for organ donation and transplantationA green building certification programA remote work system for federal government employees

The Cabinet also reviewed results of UAE-Africa strategic partnerships, which showed 95% completion of previously approved initiatives and an 87% growth in trade volume over five years [1,4].