Dubai tops global FDI rankings in creative industries for third year

Dubai has retained its position as the top global destination for Greenfield foreign direct investment (FDI) in the cultural and creative industries (CCI) for the third consecutive year, according to data from the Financial Times.

The emirate attracted 971 FDI projects in the sector during 2024, marking an 8% increase from the previous year’s 898 projects. These projects brought in AED18.86 billion in capital inflows, reflecting a nearly 60% year-on-year rise. The investments resulted in 23,517 new jobs, a 9% increase compared to 2023.

According to the Dubai FDI monitor and the Dubai framework for cultural statistics, the majority of these projects (76.5%) were Greenfield and wholly owned. Other forms of investment included new models (15.4%), reinvestment projects (5.6%), and mergers and acquisitions (2.4%).

The United States led in capital inflows with a 23.2% share, followed by India (13.4%), the United Kingdom (9.4%), Switzerland (7.6%), and Saudi Arabia (4.8%). In terms of the number of projects, India ranked first with an 18.8% share, followed by the UK (16.3%), the US (14.2%), Germany (4.2%), and Italy (3.7%).

India was also the top contributor to job creation in Dubai’s CCI sector in 2024, accounting for 18.5% of new roles, followed by the US (14.6%), the UK (13.6%), Germany (4.3%), and France (4%).

Growth in the sector was driven by investments across a broad range of sub-sectors, including advertising and public relations, custom computer programming, creative business services, educational institutions in CCI fields, filmmaking, gaming, software design, and digital technologies such as AI and cloud solutions.

The findings follow the introduction of key policy reforms, including executive council resolution No. (11) of 2025, which allows free zone companies to operate onshore with permits from the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). This, along with initiatives such as the Zero Government Bureaucracy (ZGB) programme, aims to streamline processes and reduce barriers for investors.

The Dubai Creative Economy Strategy, which targets a 5% contribution of the creative sector to the emirate’s GDP by 2026, and the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 have also supported the city's continued growth in CCI investment.