Ministry of Economy and Tourism highlights UAE’s vision for strengthening economic resilience and attracting investment in new economy sectors at Gateway Gulf 2026

H.E. emphasises importance of GCC integration in expanding investors’ access to regional markets

Abu Dhabi, 03 November 2026:

Ministry of Economy and Tourism, participated in a ministerial session at Gateway Gulf 2026, hosted by the Kingdom of Bahrain from 1 to 2 November 2026 under the theme ‘Reimagining Global Partnerships, Powering Sustainable Growth.’ During the session, H.E. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism highlighted the UAE’s vision for strengthening the resilience of its national economy, enhancing its business and investment environment, advancing economic integration among Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, and exploring promising investment opportunities in new economy sectors across the UAE and the wider region.

UAE’s highly competitive business and investment environment

H.E. Bin Touq reaffirmed that the UAE boasts one of the world’s most competitive business and investment environments, thanks to the directives of its wise leadership. This is underpinned by an integrated framework of economic legislation and incentives, including 100 per cent foreign ownership of companies, the availability of more than 2,000 economic activities, tax incentives, long-term residency options for investors and businesspeople, and free economic zones. These advantages are further complemented by policies supporting expansion into new economy sectors and the country’s vital geographic location connecting East and West.

H.E. Abdulla bin Touq noted that the participation of the Ministry of Economy and Tourism in the Gateway Gulf 2026 forum serves as a significant opportunity to foster economic dialogue, exchange insights on the future of GCC economies, and explore new horizons for economic and investment cooperation. This, in turn, supports the integration of GCC markets and enhances their capacity to keep pace with rapid global economic and technological transformations.

UAE economy: A strong global competitive position

H.E. said: “Despite current economic challenges, the UAE economy continues to enhance its diversification and competitiveness at the regional and global levels, with non-oil activities accounting for 79.2 per cent of the country’s GDP in the first half of 2026. The UAE ranked seventh globally in economic strength and stability and third globally in facilitating business, according to the Global Soft Power Index 2026. The country also ranked among the world’s top 25 economies in the Global Innovation Index 2026, securing first place globally in financing for startups and scaleups, as well as R&D and high-tech new investment.”

Expanding investment opportunities among GCC countries

The Minister of Economy and Tourism highlighted that strengthening economic integration among the GCC countries is a key pillar for expanding investment opportunities and harnessing the collective potential of Gulf markets in transport, customs, energy, payments, digital systems, tourism and e-commerce, while enabling cross-border trade and the movement of people.

H.E. emphasised that deeper GCC integration provides investors with access to larger regional markets and strengthens GCC countries’ ability to forge broader economic ties with global markets. H.E. further emphasised that the next phase requires closer coordination and joint action to translate GCC economies’ potential into tangible growth and investment opportunities.

UAE continues efforts to strengthen economic resilience and diversification

H.E. said: “Current regional developments underscore the importance of building more resilient economies that can adapt to rapid changes and respond efficiently and effectively to emerging challenges. In this context, the UAE continues its efforts to reinforce confidence in its business environment, diversify partnerships and strengthen economic resilience through greater openness to key markets, ensuring the continuity of supply chains, accelerating investment, and boosting productivity across vital sectors. These efforts support the continuity of economic activity and further enhance the UAE’s competitiveness at both the regional and global levels.”

Promoting investment in advanced technologies

H.E. called for greater adoption of advanced technologies and solutions across economic activities by the region’s private sector, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to boost productivity, drive innovation in business models and enhance investment efficiency. Also, H.E. highlighted the need to develop talent capable of adapting to transformations in future sectors and establish flexible regulatory frameworks that keep pace with technological advances and support the adoption of innovative solutions.

H.E. Bin Touq explained that an attractive investment environment is built on a range of interconnected factors, including economic policy stability, institutional efficiency, access to skilled talents, advanced infrastructure and ease of market access. H.E. emphasised the importance of further strengthening these pillars to reinforce investor confidence, encourage business expansion and channel capital into productive activities that contribute to sustainable economic growth.

Gateway Gulf 2026

Gateway Gulf 2026 brings together more than 200 leaders, officials and investors from the financial services, manufacturing, tourism, technology and logistics sectors across the GCC, Asia, Europe and the Americas. The Forum’s agenda features discussion sessions examining the transformations shaping the global economy, the importance of resilience and strategic connectivity in strengthening partnerships, and future investment opportunities across GCC markets.

The 2025 edition witnessed the announcement of investments, partnerships and agreements valued at more than USD 17 billion, reflecting the Forum’s role in connecting investors with opportunities in Bahrain and the wider region.

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