Dubai: Guided by the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, the emirate has ranked first globally in the number of Greenfield foreign direct investment (FDI) projects in the cultural and creative industries (CCIs) for the fourth consecutive year, according to the 2025 Financial Times Ltd.'s fDi Markets data, the world's leading source of greenfield FDI data. Dubai has successfully attracted 754 projects, further cementing its position as a global hub for the creative economy and a leading destination for high-value investment.
According to Emirates News Agency, among 233 cities tracked in the report, Dubai retained the top spot for Greenfield FDI in the CCIs, ahead of London, Singapore, Riyadh, and Bengaluru. This achievement underscores the strength of Dubai's enabling infrastructure and integrated cultural ecosystem and its capacity to attract exceptional talent and expertise from around the world.
H.H. Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), highlighted that guided by the vision of its leadership, Dubai has built an environment that fosters creativity, enables talent to turn ambition into enterprise, and connects promising ideas with investment opportunities. She emphasized the results reflect the continued evolution of Dubai's cultural and creative ecosystem and its significant contribution to the emirate's broader economic and development ambitions.
The fDi Markets data indicate Dubai attracted 754 new projects in the cultural and creative industries sector during 2025, generating 19,304 new jobs and raising greenfield FDI capital inflows into the sector to $3.756 billion. Dubai also maintained its global ranking of second place in the index for FDI capital inflows within the sector, reflecting its strong performance across the sub-sectors of the cultural and creative industries ecosystem.
This growth was driven by a wide range of sub-sectors, including advertising, public relations, specialised computer programming services, digital services, film, media, gaming industries, AI-powered creative technologies, creative education, professional services, design and architecture, crafts and cultural industries, performing arts, and logistics services supporting the CCIs.
India emerged as the leading source country for Greenfield capital inflows in 2025, contributing 19%, followed by the United States at 17.5%, China at 13%, Malaysia at 12%, and the United Kingdom at 9%. The UK led in the number of projects at 21.5%, followed by India at 21%, the United States at 14%, and France at 4%.
The emirate's strong 2025 Greenfield FDI performance was supported by a competitive and investor-friendly environment, combining full foreign ownership, efficient business setup, specialised creative and technology clusters, long-term residency pathways for talent, and advanced digital and logistics infrastructure. These advantages, reinforced by the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 and the Dubai Creative Economy Strategy, enabled the emirate to attract investment across both core cultural activities and the broader creative value chain.
Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, noted that Dubai's continued leadership in attracting new foreign direct investment projects within the cultural and creative industries for the fourth consecutive year reflects the vision of the emirate's leadership and the confidence it inspires among global investors, entrepreneurs, and innovators.
Hala Badri, Director General of Dubai Culture, added that the indicators highlight the maturity of Dubai's creative ecosystem and its capacity to generate opportunities that meet the ambitions of investors and the wider creative community, aligning with the objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda and the Dubai Creative Economy Strategy. She reiterated Dubai Culture's commitment to fostering environments that encourage collaboration and knowledge exchange, converting creative projects into sustainable economic value.