Dubai has continued to consolidate its leadership on the global creative economy map, demonstrating its growing ability to transform culture and creativity into a powerful economic and investment force. For the fourth consecutive year, the emirate ranked first globally in attracting new foreign direct investment projects in the cultural and creative industries in 2025.

The results are based on data from the Financial Times’ fDi Markets, a leading global source for tracking new foreign direct investment projects worldwide.

During 2025, Dubai attracted 754 new projects in the cultural and creative industries, placing it first among 233 cities worldwide and ahead of major global centers including London, Singapore, Riyadh, and Bengaluru. The result reflects the strength of Dubai’s investment and cultural ecosystem, as well as its ability to attract companies, investors, entrepreneurs, and talent from around the world.

The achievement is an extension of the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, to establish Dubai as a global center for culture, an incubator for creativity, and a meeting place for talent, while building a diversified and sustainable economy based on knowledge, innovation, and future-focused sectors.

754 New Projects Put Dubai at the Top

Dubai’s 2025 figures highlight the scale of its progress in the cultural and creative industries. The emirate attracted 754 new projects, compared with 227 in London, 197 in Singapore, 157 in Riyadh, and 132 in Bengaluru.

According to Financial Times – fDi Markets data and the Dubai Framework for Cultural Statistics, this performance raised the total capital inflows from new foreign direct investment projects in the sector to $3.756 billion, while also creating 19,304 new jobs.

Dubai also maintained second place globally in the index for capital inflows from foreign direct investment projects in the sector, reflecting the strength of its performance across a broad range of activities and subsectors within the cultural and creative industries.

A Vision That Turns Culture and Creativity Into Economic Strength

Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, affirmed that Dubai’s continued leadership in global investment indicators for the cultural and creative industries reflects the success of the emirate’s strategic vision in building an integrated creative economy and confirms its ability to transform culture and creativity into effective drivers of sustainable economic growth.

Her Highness said: “Dubai, guided by the vision of its wise leadership and its distinctive approach, has established a pioneering model through which it continues to transform creativity into an economy, talent into projects, and ideas into investment opportunities and sustainable development gains, strengthening its global competitiveness and reinforcing its position as an attractive investment hub for entrepreneurs, skilled professionals, and talent from around the world.”

Her Highness added: “The flexibility of legislation and regulatory frameworks, advanced infrastructure, and a business environment that supports innovation have strengthened investors’ confidence in Dubai’s ability to provide a dynamic economic and cultural ecosystem capable of keeping pace with and anticipating global transformations, while opening new pathways for investment and growth.”

Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum also noted that the achievement is the result of Dubai’s forward-looking vision, which continues to advance economic diversification through high-quality initiatives and projects that contribute to strengthening the emirate’s economic sustainability and enriching its cultural landscape.

The achievement also highlights Dubai’s success in developing cultural and creative industries as a core pillar of a knowledge- and innovation-based economy, alongside its support for sectors linked to digital content, creative technology, artificial intelligence, and data-driven services.

Her Highness further emphasized that the new global leadership position reflects the strength of partnerships and integration between government and private-sector entities, and their role in enhancing Dubai’s global competitiveness and reinforcing its place among the world’s cities best positioned to anticipate change and create future opportunities.

An Investment Environment That Supports Creators and Companies

Dubai’s strong performance in attracting new foreign direct investment projects in the cultural and creative industries has been supported by a highly competitive ecosystem that combines ease of doing business, full foreign ownership, specialized zones for creative and technology sectors, and long-term residency pathways for talent and skilled professionals.

These advantages are complemented by advanced digital and logistics infrastructure, as well as easy access to regional and international markets. Together, these factors have strengthened the ability of companies, investors, and entrepreneurs to expand their businesses and use Dubai as a gateway to wider markets.

The Dubai Economic Agenda D33 and the Dubai Creative Economy Strategy have also supported this direction by encouraging investment in core cultural activities and across the broader creative value chain, including digital services, programming, advertising, business support services, distribution, and creative commerce.

Technology and Artificial Intelligence Expand the Creative Economy

Dubai’s growth reflects the expanding scope of cultural and creative industries, which increasingly include future-focused sectors that intersect with technology and innovation.

A range of subsectors led the expansion in new foreign direct investment projects, including advertising and public relations, specialized computer programming services, data processing and digital services, filmmaking, media, and video games.

Other active sectors included AI-powered creative technology, creative education, professional services, design and architecture, crafts and cultural industries, performing arts and entertainment activities, museums and historical sites, as well as logistics services supporting cultural and creative industries.

This diversity demonstrates Dubai’s ability to develop a flexible and evolving creative economy capable of keeping pace with global changes and benefiting from rapid advances in artificial intelligence, digital services, and the data-driven economy.

India Leads Capital Inflows Into the Sector

The investment landscape in Dubai’s cultural and creative industries during 2025 showed significant diversity in the sources of capital flowing into the emirate.

India ranked first among countries contributing capital inflows to new projects in the cultural and creative industries, accounting for 19%, followed by the United States at 17.5%, China at 13%, Malaysia at 12%, and the United Kingdom at 9%.

In terms of the number of new foreign direct investment projects in the sector, the United Kingdom ranked first with 21.5%, followed by India at 21%, the United States at 14%, and France at 4%.

These results reflect Dubai’s success in building strong investment ties with some of the world’s major markets, while also demonstrating its ability to attract companies and investors from a wide range of geographic regions.

International Partnerships Expand Growth Opportunities

The investment map shows the breadth of the economic relationships connecting Dubai with key markets across Asia, Europe, and North America.

This diversity strengthens the resilience of the cultural and creative sector and gives companies operating in Dubai broader opportunities to grow, enter new markets, and benefit from the emirate’s global network in trade, services, transportation, and connectivity.

At the same time, continuing international partnerships are helping Dubai attract more high-value projects, particularly in fast-growing fields such as creative technology, digital content, video games, artificial intelligence, design, and specialized creative services.

Global Confidence Supports Dubai’s Investment Appeal

On this occasion, His Excellency Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director General of Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism, said: “Dubai’s ranking as the world’s leading destination for attracting new foreign direct investment projects in the cultural and creative industries for the fourth consecutive year confirms the success of the forward-looking vision of our wise leadership and reflects the deep confidence the city enjoys among investors, entrepreneurs, and innovators from around the world. This achievement is built on a dynamic ecosystem where creativity, advanced technology, and entrepreneurship come together to create sustainable economic value, provide high-quality jobs, and open new horizons for growth. Dubai also continues to provide an exceptional platform that enables creative industries to expand, innovate, and succeed, supported by a world-class connectivity network and an advanced, future-ready business environment.”

His Excellency added that this achievement also reflects the strength of the partnership between the public and private sectors, whose close cooperation continues to create new opportunities in digital content, video games, artificial intelligence, design, and specialized creative services. These results also contribute to achieving the objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda “D33” and further strengthen Dubai’s position as a leading global destination for business, investment, and innovation.

These statements reflect the growing confidence Dubai enjoys among investors and global companies, particularly as the emirate continues to offer an advanced business ecosystem that combines sophisticated infrastructure, flexible regulations, technology, and entrepreneurship.

A Creative Ecosystem Ready for the Future

For her part, Hala Badri, Director General of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, noted that Dubai’s results in the foreign direct investment index demonstrate the readiness and maturity of its creative ecosystem, as well as its flexibility and ability to create new economic opportunities that meet the ambitions of investors and members of the creative community, in line with the objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 and the Dubai Creative Economy Strategy.

She said: “Dubai has succeeded in developing its creative sector and transforming it into a vital economic contributor with a strong capacity for growth and continuity. It is supported by an enabling environment that embraces ideas, ambitions, and creative projects, while allowing talented individuals and entrepreneurs to benefit from the facilities offered by the emirate to empower them and encourage them to develop and expand their businesses. This has contributed to supporting the cultural and creative industries and strengthening Dubai’s attractiveness and position as a preferred destination to live, work, and visit.”

She also noted that these indicators highlight the importance of Dubai’s efforts to anticipate trends in the cultural sector and develop high-quality initiatives that enrich cultural activity. She emphasized Dubai Culture’s commitment to providing inspiring environments that encourage talented individuals to collaborate, exchange expertise, and transform their projects into sustainable economic value.

These results demonstrate that Dubai’s creative environment is no longer focused only on attracting talent and projects. It has evolved into an integrated ecosystem that provides opportunities for growth, expansion, knowledge exchange, and the development of new partnerships.

Dubai Is Investing in the Future of Creative Industries

The index results reflect the rapid transformation taking place across Dubai’s creative economy, with core cultural sectors expanding to include future industries linked to digital content, creative technology, artificial intelligence, and data-based services.

This expansion has increased the emirate’s ability to keep pace with global changes and attract companies and talented individuals looking for flexible environments that support growth and expansion.

Dubai’s advanced infrastructure and global connectivity also help creative companies access regional and international markets, expand their operations, build new partnerships, and benefit from opportunities created by emerging creative industries.